Fuseiseki
by MarauderGirl777
Summary: Neji's been assigned to search for the remaining Akatsuki as an ANBU, and his partner is a familiar-looking yet unplacable woman, who seems cold and dead on the inside. Why can't he remember her? NejixSaku. Rated M in case. ON HIATUS.
1. Mission

**Fuseiseki.**

"No, no. Already, you're dismissed." The man said, handing the form back to the nin standing before him. "You're not ready yet."

The Chunin snatched the paper from his gloved hand, shooting him a glare before striding away. The man sitting at the large desk rolled his eyes exhasperatedly, before reaching up to run gloved fingers through his long, coffee-brown locks. "Honestly," He murmured, before attending to paperwork laying before him.

"Ahem," Someone coughed. The shadow now cast over him made him look up, and there was a pink-headed kunoichi standing before him, dressed in ANBU uniform, mask on the side of her head.

He blinked. "Yes?"

"Neji-san," She said, her tone formal. "Hokage-sama requests your presence."

He furrowed his brows, looking at her. _Who was this woman? _Her chakra signature was strong, despite her petite frame. Instead of asking her name, he instead nodded, standing from the desk. He slid his own wolf-faced ANBU mask on, straightening himself. She slid her tiger-faced mask over her face, waiting for him. He then disappeared, and she then disappeared as well.

He reappeared in the Hokage's office, on one knee. He then stood to his feet, pulling his mask to the side.

He sighed. "Naruto."

The tall man turned in his chair, long, spiky blonde hair lightly swishing as he did so. He shot the man a grin. "Is that any way to talk to the Hokage, Neji?" He chuckled, sticking his tongue out at him. "Dattebayo!"

Neji rolled his eyes. "Do I have a mission?"

"Well," Naruto then said, usually happy face donning a more serious expression. "..As you know, the Akatsuki are officially disbanded. The only members surviving are the female known as Konan, Kisame Hoshigaki of the Mist, and... the Akatsuki member known as "Tobi," A.k.a, Madara.. Uchiha."

Neji nodded, a serious expression on his face as well as he recalled what the blonde was telling him. "And, it's been heard that Madara has joined Uchiha Sasuke, correct?"

"That's what we've heard," Naruto replied, leaning his elbows on his desk and clasping his hands together. He pursed his lips. "I have a search mission for you, and another ANBU."

Neji nodded in understanding. "Details."

"You are to comb the Land of Fire for the whereabouts of any of these listed Akatsuki members. And, if you happen to..." He looked down, eyes squinting. "..Find Sasuke, bring him back... Alive."

Neji looked at him. '_20 years old, and he still hasn't gotten over the Uchiha one bit…' _He thought sadly.

"..Right." Neji nodded. "Who is my partner..?"

Naruto lifted his head, reaching down and sifting through one of the drawers of his desk. He finally pulled out a scroll, and slid it towards Neji, on the desk. "Here."

Neji reached out, taking up the scroll. However, he only looked at Naruto, nodding. He would wait to read the scroll until later.

"Full, final details are in this scroll." Naruto said solemnly. "Meet your partner at the gates, in an hour. Be there, _on time."_

Neji nodded in understanding. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Naruto chuckled a bit, the modd lightening. "You know it, dattebayo!"

Neji turned to leave, but Naruto stopped him. "Wait," He called from his desk.

Neji stopped.

"This trip will last a while." Naruto said seriously. "Take food and other provisions, my suggestion is ramen."

Neji rolled his eyes, muttering, "Haiiii, Hokage-sama."

'_...Long ago, there was a man named Hyuga Neji,' _He thought amusedly, as he leaped across rooftops. '_And he was in for the mission of a lifetime.'_

"Ohayo," a female voice called from atop the front gates of Konoha. She was perched atop it gracefully, and gave a small wave. He looked at the sky, reminded blearily that it was still morning.

"Ugh," he grumbled, rolling his white eyes from behind his mask. "Another annoying female... Better not talk my ears off like that one blonde... What was her name?" He mumbled to himself, groaning. "Yamanaka? Oh God, please don't let it be her.."

He landed swiftly beside her atop the gates, and moved his mask to the side. She did as well, and they stared at one another for a moment. He took in her pale, flawless complexion, her dull, almost lifeless green eyes, and that popping pink hair.

He couldn't place her...

He knew her, he did! He was frustrated. Why couldn't he remember this woman?! It was as if she were just a part of some unforgettable dream he had. He then inspected her eyes more closely. They held absolutely no emotion, no life, no _spark._

He wondered what had happened to this woman to make her so dull. He figured she must have had life in those emerald eyes at some point, but he couldn't help but think that maybe those sparkling eyes held pain in them all along. He knew what it was like to feel pain; although he too had learned to block pain from showing in his eyes, and didn't have it so bad, he remembered when those white eyes of his shone with seething anger and resentment.

But this woman... Was like a corpse. No life, nothing. In fact, he wondered if she were a puppet, some new test that the blonde idiot decided to try out at the wrong time.

"..You ready?" Her quiet voice interupted his train of thoughts, and he shook his head, blinking.

"Oh, hai." He replied, and she slipped her mask over her pale face. He did the same, and the took to the trees.

"Odd meeting you here." The man murmured in his rough voice, dark finger picking at the hild of his large sword.

"Hai," The blue-haired female replied, giving him an odd look.

"I really don't think--" He was quieted by the sound of footsteps over their heads. After the steps faded away, he said, "...Who would've known... Tobi, of all of us.."

She nodded, looking at the ground. "...Was actually Madara Uchiha.."

"We should get going."

"You go," She looked at him, her knees pulled up to her chest. "I'm staying here for a while longer."

He frowned at her, before crawling out of the small cave-like place. "Suit yourself."

"...Farewell." He said softly, looking at her. He knew he probably wasn't ever going to see her again. Konoha's ninja were on the move, along with the nin of every other Hidden Village, including his own. He could hold himself against a good few, but if too many came at him at once, he wouldn't stand a chance, and he knew it.

"Farewell." Her glittering pale eyes gazed at him, and he turned away, leaving the small cave area, sword beside him as he crouched.

He landed on a large limb, on one knee. He looked ahead, activating the Byakugan to scan the area ahead for any signs of foreign shinobi. His powerful eyes scanned through bushes, over limbs, through tree trunks, in holes... Finding nothing, he deactivated the ability and looked at the ANBU kneeling beside him. She seemed to be scanning the area as well, so he said quietly, "I've scanned the area, and everything's fine."

Without looking at him, she immediately replied, "I know that, and I know your Kekkei Genkai as well, Neji-san. But rule number four hundred twenty-eight, section four sub-section B of the ninja hand-guide says, 'Never trust another ninja's eyes.' And I plan to stick to that rule."

He blinked, shocked at her impudence. He frowned, and said, "I understand that, but--"

He didn't finish what he was saying, for there was noone there to listen to it. She'd dashed ahead, leaping gracefully from limb to limb. He then dashed after her, keeping his same inhuman speed and agility, although his calves and thighs were burning with exhertion.

He searched for her face. In all of his memories, all of his life... He searched for a face that matched hers. He racked his brain as they travelled along, momentarily foretting the burning in his limber legs.

'_Think, think! Who else had pink hair and dull green eyes? Serious, emotionless? Come onn..!'_

He wanted to smack himself for not remembering.

He didn't want to ask her, he wanted to figure it out for himself. His male pride wouldn't let him go out on a limb and ask the moody woman for her name. He wanted to feel the accomplishment of figuring this woman out.

He supposed, he'd just have to travel with this mystery woman in silence, for now.

"What would Granny Tsunade do..?" The blonde murmured, holding a photograph of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and himself with he was sixteen. He smiled at the picture, recalling fond memories of the two now deceased Sannin. Jiraiya, killed by the Leader of Akatsuki, Pein. Naruto himself had made sure the orange-headed ass-hole had a gruesome death. Tsunade had been killed by the teamwork of Konan and Zetsu, two of the main Akatsuki members at the time. Ino, Rock Lee, and Kakashi had taken care of Zetsu, but Konan escaped.

Naruto didn't know how one Akatuski escaped from three ANBU, but he knew that in time, all of the Akatsuki would be destroyed. And he knew _damn _well that he wasn't going to let another one start up, if he could help it.

"I wonder how Neji'll react with Sakura-chan as his partner..." Naruto thought aloud. "Hell, he probably won't even know it's her, 'tebayo. She's changed so much, sometimes even _I _wonder.."

He looked up at the ceiling, leaning back in his chair and sighing. "Sakura-chan, how did you change so much...?"

"..What.. What happened to you, Sakura?"

"I think, we should stop here." Neji said calmly, resting atop a cliff overlooking a small, homey village.

She gave no answer, only nodded shortly, and sat down on the ground, laying back.

"We could rent a room, if you'd like," The Hyuga said lowly, motioning to a small motel, near the edge of the little village they looked out over.

"We're too suspicious-looking," the kunoichi replied shortly. "This isn't a ninja village, if you didn't know."

"I knew it wasn't," Neji snapped, getting agitated. "And I'm getting tired of your attitude."

"Well sorry if you don't like it," She replied emotionlessly. He imagined her eerie, lifeless eyes behind her mask, and shuddered.

"I have a change of clothes in my pack, and I'm going into town. We have plenty of time for this mission, and I'm not going to rush it," Neji said, while shouldering off his pack and setting it on the ground, opening it. "We're supposed to 'comb through the Land of Fire,' remember?" He said snootily, much like the way she'd replied to him.

She snorted, before getting up. "We're supposed to stick together, so I suppose I have to come."

He peered at her closely, trying to imagine her face behind the mask. '_What is she thinking? What goes on in that lifeless head of hers..?' _He wondered, squinting his eyes behind his own mask to peer at her more closely.

Then, shaking his head, he took off his mask, laying it beside his pack on the ground. "Hn," was his reply as he dug out an extra pair of clothes from his large pack. In his arms laid a pair of thin black cotton pants, and a thin black cotton shirt to match. Thin clothes were the best for long-distance travel, for they took up much less room than thick ones.

He looked at her, and she stood there, watching him, he guessed.

He coughed. "I'll need you to--"

Before he finished his sentence, she complied to his wishes, turning her back on him and walking a good ways away. Feeling comfortable enough to change, he did just that. Slowly, he stripped his various pieces of metal armor off, laying them on the ground beside his pack. Then, he threw his shirt to the side after sliding it off his lean torso. His toned chest and abdomen were revealed, and though he had nothing to hide, it embarrassed him for people to look at his bare flesh.

So, off came his pants and they joined his shirt on the ground. He then slipped suavely into the clothes he'd pulled out of his pack, stuffing his ANBU gear into the pack and zipping it shut.

"Okay," He said awkwardly, and she returned.

'_That damn mask is STILL on,' _he thought agitatedly. His brows furrowed and he frowned at her, straightening his shirt.

"Something wrong?" She asked nonchalantly, before slowly removing the mask and placing it on the ground.

"No." He replied, before giving her another frown. Then, giving her the same courtesy she'd given him, he turned his back on her and walked a good ways away, leaving her to change.

'_It would be a good idea to scout for foreign nin,' _he thought, activating the Byakugan. He scanned the area in front of him thoroughly, before using it to look to the sides. Seeing nothing, his gaze shifted to behind him, while his body kept turned away from the changing kunoichi. He immediately froze at what he saw.

The most _beautiful creature he'd ever seen _stood there, changing into a new set of clothes gracefully. Delicious, curvy hips, bountiful breasts, smooth stomach, long, slender legs, toned calves, smooth, slender arms, and that gorgeous, yet lifeless face of hers.

He immediately shut off the Byakugan, closing his eyes and bowing his head. A shiver ran up his spine, making his body twitch. He grunted in annoyance at the odd sensation, and turned back around to face her. He made his way back to her, clearing his throat to keep from choking.

"Ready?" She asked, before removing her black headband and placing it in her bag along with everything else.

"Hai." He answered shortly, removing his own headband and placing it in his pack. She stared at his forehead, and he figured she knew what it was beneath the wrappings covering it. He turned away, shooting her a look before making his way down the hill and towards the small village.


	2. Village

**Fuseiseki.**

As he and his partner walked down the street, many of the resident villagers cast them flirty looks. Neji was made to be uncomfortable, while the kunoichi only looked straight ahead, keeping her confident, yet cold stride in check. At first the Hyuga wondered how she could remain so nonchalant with the looks cast at her, but then he remembered she was basically emotionless, like a puppet.

He cast a glance at her, and certain enough, her face was as emotionless and cold as ever, staring straight ahead as they approached their destination.

He walked slightly ahead of her, moving to open the door. He allowed her to step in, and entered after her. He looked around at the dark room. It was musty and smelled like smoke, and the air was foggy. He let out a small cough, frowning at the looks of the place. Though it looked fairly clean, he didn't like the odor of cigarettes.

'_Asuma would love it here,' _he thought. After giving the place a slightly disdainful look, he approached the desk, his partner following. "Room for two," He said plainly.

"Alright, a room for the couple," the woman smiled brightly, handing him a key.

Neji snatched the key, shooting the woman a look. The people among the streets seemed to think they were a couple as well.

Neji was perturbed by this. How did they look like a couple?

Neji was so much perturbed by this, in fact, that he decided to ask the woman.

"How do we look like a couple?" He asked, his voice taking on a slightly rude tone.

"Well, you two seem like.." The woman began hesitantly, looking at him with a frightened expression on her face.

"Go on." He continued. He stole a glance at the kunoichi beside him to find she was completely ignoring the conversation.

"..Well, you two seem... I don't know, to go together. Like, if you were two pieces of a puzzle, you would fit together."

Neji's eyes widened slightly. He remembered, when he was a little boy, something his mother told him constantly.

_"You'll find a love like mine and your father's one day, Neji. Remember, your mate will be the finishing piece to your puzzle. You know you've found true love when you and your mate fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle."_

Did it mean he was soul-mates with this strange, cold woman?

He shook his head. Just because his mother said something like that... And anyways, shinobi didn't fall in love. Shinobi were taught to hide their emotions, hide them away and don't bring them up. And no matter how attractive or mysterious this woman was, Neji was determined not to make anything more of their relationship as acquaintances, and partners.

Because he knew that this woman could very much make him fall in love with her, if he let himself be sucked in. He had to cold-shoulder her, separate himself from her. He had to quit thinking about her, wondering who she was. He had to detach himself from her, and quickly.

"Neji-san," her sweet, yet cold voice broke him from his thoughts, and he shook his head, blinking several times.

"Hn," was his reply as he made his way up the stairs to their room. She followed, silently as usual.

As they traversed the stairs, he tried to make conversation. "Hn'n.. How did you become ANBU?"

"Passed the test." Was her only reply as she looked straight ahead, up the stairs.

"Ah, so... What are your elements?" He pressed on.

She let out a small sigh. "Water, and wind." she said.

"Strange. The wind element is rather rare." He said, casting a glance at her. Her eyes shifted to him for a moment, and the sheer devastation of the look she gave him made him stop in his tracks. She stopped for a moment, giving him another look before continuing on.

He closed his eyes for a moment, furrowing his brows. He then continued up the stairs, reaching their floor. The woman stood behind him, waiting for him to open the door. He did so, entering the room smoothly. She followed, not saying a word and casting her dull eyes around the room. He couldn't read the expression on her face.

'_It's like I'm reading a book with nothing in it,' _he thought agitatedly.

"Who's taking the bed?" Her voice once again snapped him out of his thoughts, and he shook his head, looking at her dumbly.

"…Wha?"

"There's only," She rolled her eyes, pointing at the bed. "One bed."

He groaned, before muttering, "I'll take the floor."

"No need, you baby," She responded, walking over and sitting in a chair. "I'll take the floor so you don't get your precious tush dirty."

This made Neji angry, and all the attitude she'd given him in the past few days had built up and finally flooded. He took quick, arrogant strides towards her, glaring intensely at her. She glared right back, standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"You little.." He growled, backing her up against the wall beside the chair. He put his hand against the wall she was pressed back against, and she looked at him, with emotionless, expressionless eyes. "..Why the fuck do you look at me like that?!" He hissed, angrier then he'd expected to be. And what made him angrier was the fact the she was only looking at him.

She didn't say a word in response, and the anger just kept building up in his chest. He wanted to yell, wanted to scream. He'd never felt so angry, so frustrated before. Was it maybe that he'd just kept getting more frustrated as the time went by? Had she really pushed his buttons that much, and he was finally blowing up?

"Answer me!" He said louder, fuming and glaring intensely at her, their faces close. Both of them were tense, on the edge. Both of his hands were on the wall on either side of her head, and he was glaring down at her with an anger he'd never felt before besides after seeing his father killed in place of his uncle.

Yet again, he received no answer, only her expressionless eyes boring into his own. So clouded was his mind, that he leaned forward, and smashed their lips together in an angry, heated kiss. He closed his eyes as he did so, pushing their lips together fiercely. She made no sound, only froze and stared at him through unfazed eyes, waiting for him to pull away. He slowly pulled away from her slightly swollen lips, slowly opening his hazy eyes.

He'd just kissed a complete stranger (so he thought). And the expression on her face was _still _the same.

This made him quickly turn away from her, glaring at the floor and clenching his hands into fists.

"I need to get some air," He said quietly, gritting his teeth. Getting no response from her, he quickly strode out the door.

The pink-haired woman slid down, back against the wall. She shivered, her emerald eyes glinting.

"Hm, I wonder how long they'll take," the blonde murmured as he tried focusing on the large piles of paperwork on his desk.

"Hokage-sama!" The door was kicked down in a flurry of green and orange.

Naruto grinned, but said, "You're paying for that door."

"Sorry, Hokage-sama! I wanted to see if it was true!" Lee grinned at him, standing proudly in the room.

"No need for Hokage-sama," Naruto chuckled, waving it away, brushing blonde hair out of his face. "We're good enough friends for you to call—"

"Naruto-kun!" Lee's eyes watered, and he sniffled. "Is Neji really gone for good?!"

"What??" Naruto blinked, then chuckled again. "No, of course not! He's gone on a mission."

"For how long?" Lee said, wiping his eyes and blinking.

"Oh, it depends. It's top secret; ANBU."

"Oh, damn the ANBU.." Lee grouched, turning his back and beginning to stride away.

"Lee," Naruto said.

Lee stopped.

"I'll let you know first thing when he gets back, okay?" Naruto chuckled.

"Arigatou, Hoka—Naruto-kun!" Lee made his way out the broken door, which was lying on the floor. Naruto got up, grumbling, and went to fix it.

'_What am I going to do when I get back??' _He thought, mentally smacking his forehead. '_It will be so awkward…'_

'_Just, just go back, and pretend you never met her. What happened to the whole 'cold-shoulder' thing, hm? Kissing her is NOT giving her the cold shoulder.' _Neji growled, agreeing with his conscience.

'_Go back and completely ignore her. Hell, she'll probably ignore you too.'_

'_Good, it's done,' _Neji thought, before turning in the forest, and making his way back to the town.

It was late when he got back, and when the Hyuga opened the door to the room, he found Sakura sleeping on the floor with a small, shabby blanket surrounding her. He shook his head, and although he knew he shouldn't (and didn't want to) touch her, he did have enough respect for women to make sure she had the bed, not him.

He trudged over to her and kneeled, taking her quickly in his arms. Other than a small groan, she didn't stir, and he laid her and the blanket in the bed, before grabbing his own small blanket and retreating to the floor.

He laid back, closing his eyes. _'Dawn starts a new day, and with the day comes change.' _He thought, before falling in a sort of half-asleep state of unconsciousness.

He woke with a ninja sandal to his head. He grunted, and sat up quickly. Without waiting for his brain to begin working properly, he got to his feet, and grumbled, rubbing his head. Casting a glare at the woman who'd thrown the shoe at him, he noticed she was busy packing things in her bag, and was missing one sandal. He looked out the window, and saw the sun just beginning to rise through the tree bordering the village.

'_Great, it's early,' _he thought, scowling. He rubbed the sleep from his light-colored eyes, and threw her shoe back her, with more force than necessary. He scowled even more when she caught it easily, without even looking. She lazily slipped the sandal back on wordlessly, before turning to him. He furrowed his brows at her, shooting her a small glare. She was all ready and packed up, and he'd just gotten up.

"How long have you been up?" he asked rudely.

"Two hours." She replied curtly, holding her ANBU mask in one hand, other hand being on her hip. She looked at him emotionlessly.

Deciding not to talk to her any more than he had to, he turned abruptly to his pack, and put the blanket and whatever else he'd gotten out of it back in, after pulling out his ANBU gear.

"We're eating first." He heard a cold female voice say, and he sighed.

"We don't have time for that," he muttered.

"That's not what you said yesterday." She hissed, and he stood to his feet.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes, and left his things on the floor. He headed towards the door, and she followed after him. He should've known; he looked over at her and she was still in their "normal" clothes from the day before. He supposed that was why she interrupted when he got out his ANBU gear.

Pondering about where they were eating, he decided to ask.

"Where are we eating?"

"Doesn't matter." She replied shortly, not bothering to look at him.

It brought that boiling rage back up inside his chest; the way she ignored him, and talked to him as if he were no smarter than a log, the way she treated him as if he were a nuisance. As if she were better than him in every way… It made him furious.

However, he just kept walking and silently seethed inside, hands clenching into fists.

'_Just remember that you're not supposed to associate with her any more than necessary,' _he thought to himself. _'…Although I really don't see how anyone can stand to go on a mission with her. Note to Self: Ask Naruto.'_

He looked in front of him, and noticed the woman had led him to a small diner, where sweet dumplings was the specialty.

"Sweet dumplings?" he asked, half-frowning.

'_I woulda never thought a bitch like her liked _sweets, _of all things…' _he thought, rolling his eyes inwardly.

"Something wrong with them?" she asked, in a voice that didn't really care whether he liked them or not.

This made him scowl, but he just kept silent, knowing his saying something wouldn't really change the fact that they were going to eat at this place. He followed her in, under the giant flaps that served as a door. It reminded him of Ichiraku's ramen, and he thought of how much he'd rather be there, and with someone else, rather than this sweets shop, with _her._

Nevertheless, he took a seat across from her at the table she chose, and sighed, running a hand through his long hair. Deciding it was too troublesome to handle at the moment, he tied it up in a pony-tail, the only hair loose from it being the pieces on the side, too short to stay in the pony-tail.

After putting it up, he laid his head in his arms, arms being on the table. He sighed a bit, shoulders heaving slightly, and his thoughts momentarily went to the marking on his forehead, which was now covered only by wrappings, his headband being back in the room with his other gear.

"It looks better down," a voice broke him out of the thoughts, and he lifted his head from his arms.

Shocked by the fact she'd said something un-related to the mission, he said rather dumbly, "..Whut?"

She rolled her eyes. "I said, it looks better down. Just a comment."

He furrowed his brows. "Does it? I never really cared."

She remained wordless, staring at him blankly for a moment before looking away and out the window again.

'_Progress, I think,' _he thought, eyes remaining on her pale, lifeless face. She really looked dead, her eyes dull, face pale, like it never got sun. Maybe it was the mask? He didn't know, and he just continued to stare at her. There wasn't a single blemish on her face; the skin looked smooth, and perfect. Her eyes, though they weren't focused on him, were a dull green, lifeless-like (basically like the rest of her). He wondered what hue they would be if not for her dead expression. He thought of a bright, emerald green, and figured that would be it. Her lips, full and pink, looked very kissable. With her head turned, she could see her feminine jawline, attached to her smooth, yet pale neck. Her nose was small and petite, and her chin also small. It didn't jut out, and was almost sort-of pointy.

She really was beautiful; he betted himself that even his Byakugan couldn't find a flaw in her. It made him pity how such a beautiful woman could be so cold, so empty. It made him begin to think of what could've made her like this.

"We've been waiting a while," he commented softly. "Maybe we—"

"Hello! Maybe I take your orders?" an overly-chipper waitress for that early in the morning interrupted. He looked at her large grin and fought the urge to shudder.

"Sweet dumplings and rice please, with a hot tea." The woman across from him muttered, before turning her attention back to the window.

"Uhh," Neji pondered, not having much of a taste for sweets. "I suppose just some mixed rice, and a green tea."

The waitress nodded, and bounced off.

Neji rolled his eyes, before looking back at his partner. He then turned his attention to the window, to see what was so interesting out there.

He activated his Byakugan silently, and his vision extended to superhuman ability. He could see through buildings, and could point out where people where from where there were large gatherings of chakra. His brows furrowed when he spotted a small group of people (about 6), and they seemed to moving violently. He couldn't hear anything, for they were far away, but he suspected it was a fight.

He squinted his eyes for a clearer view, and noticed there was one figure in the middle. It was a feminine figure. His eyes widened.

"What is it?" the woman across from him asked, and he noticed she'd been watching him. He turned his Byakugan off, shaking his head. Without a word, he stood to his feet, and rushed out the door.

He ran at a pace only a ninja could accomplish, and arrived on the scene to see his fears confirmed: a group of men were ganging up on a woman, beating her around and grabbing her in inappropriate places. She was crying, and when she saw Neji, she reached out, crying, "Help me!"

The village woman got a chance to get away and she shoved one of the men, running to Neji and throwing her arms around him, crying. "Please help me, good sir...!" she cried. He frowned down at her, before moving her behind him, and glaring at the men. They advanced on him, glaring and smirking.

"Just give 'er back, lad, and you won't be getting 'urt." One snarled.

"I don't think so." Neji growled, standing in front of her. He didn't get into the Hyuga fighting stance like usual; he had to lay low, and he couldn't have them thinking he was a shinobi.

One man ran at him, pulling out a knife. Neji easily dodged the plunge towards his gut by moving aside, and right when the man passed him, he rammed his elbow down hard on the man's back. The villager hit the ground, groaning. The woman's eyes widened and she stepped away from the passed-out man.

Two others came, running and pulling out various small weapons. Neji stared coldly at them as they came, and leaped up right as they reached him. He looked down, and they lunged for the woman, who let out a yelp.

Suddenly, his foot came crashing down on the back of one man, and he leaped off him onto the other, who'd let go of the woman due to Neji grabbing his wrist and breaking it. He then flung the man by his broken wrist aside, advancing on the last three. Their eyes widened, and they ran, pleading for him not to kill them.

Neji turned to the bruised woman behind him, asking, "Are you alright?"

She nodded tearfully, and hugging him tightly. He looked down at her, sighing lightly.

"Thank you sir, thank you.." she said, and he saw her smiling and rubbing her head against his chest. He looked up from the woman (who showing a little too much gratitude) to see his partner, who looked like she'd been standing there the entire time.

She coughed, and the woman hugging Neji looked up, before looking at his partner. The pink-headed woman had her arms folded over her chest, and her gaze was cold and empty.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry, this must be your mate, ne'?" she looked up at Neji, quickly letting him go and stepping away.

"No, no," Neji shook his head, frowning. "She is my.." he searched for the words to say. "…Friend."

"Oh, I see," the woman smiled. "Well, arigatou, sir.." she blushed, before scurrying away to her home.

Neji turned to the kunoichi, looking at her. "You were there the whole time?"

She nodded, before saying, "I'm supposing you noticed what was happening back at the diner."

He nodded in reply. "Yes, I turned the Byakugan on. I don't really know why I did, but I'm glad I did it. She would've been killed."

"That's not our mission." The woman replied harshly, and Neji's eyes narrowed angrily.

"I don't care, any shinobi's job is to protect the innocent." Then he added, "Any _good _shinobi, that is."

The woman's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she gave him a death glare. "We're going."

"Whatever," Neji said, before rolling his eyes and following her back to the hotel. They both had forgotten all about breakfast.

(A/N: Kay, don't hurt me! This is a side project I've been working on for a while now. I'd been working hard on "The Sands of Time," and "Reunion," but I've sorta got writers block so I thought I'd catch up on this one. Love you all. DJ


	3. Encounter

**Fuseiseki.**

Neji decided that his relationship with that woman was a love/hate relationship. He could not stand her, her cold, emotionless features, the way she glared at him, the way she treated him like he only got in the way, like he was lesser than her in every way.

...But there was something about her he couldn't get enough of, like a drug. In a way, he didn't want this mission to ever end. He wanted to keep combing the country with her, slowly making progress into her mind, maybe cause her to look a bit more... Full of life, bright.

As day after day went by, they searched, and found nothing. They'd almost made a full circle in fire country. They'd checked everywhere, and Neji's Byakugan was very useful when it came too looking quickly in very many places at once. Although he had a great amount of chakra, he was often tired at the end of the day from using his Kekkei Genkai all day, and his partner would keep watch. He felt guilty at times, but he was simply too weary to keep his eyes open at the end of the day.

One night, he jerked awake, in a cold sweat. He looked around warily, to see his partner looking at him. She tilted her head, face expressionless, but he could see she was wondering what woke him up.

He sat up, looking at the ground with a troubled expression on his face. He remained that way for a few minutes until her voice made him look up.

"Can't sleep?"

Neji gave her a "duh" look, and her face remained expressionless. "...It was a dream, I had.." he mumbled.

"Talk about it." he looked at her, surprised that she'd said something to him at all.

He hesitated for a moment, before looking down. "It was about a war. Many shinobi were all battling on a large dust plain, there had to be a thousand of them. I couldn't tell what any of the villages were besides our own, because I could see myself, you, Lee, TenTen, Kakashi, Naruto, and many other familiar faces out there."

She watched, and he didn't even know whether he was listening or not. He continued, nonetheless. "Many were falling, we were losing badly. All around me were falling, and I could help the panic rising in my chest, the lump in my throat. I looked over at you, and you.. You were lying on the ground, near death."

Her expression never changed, the whole time.

"Does death not phase you?" he asked, after noticing this.

She slowly shook her head, before replying, "I do not fear death. And that is an interesting dream. Let's hope it doesn't happen."

"..That's the most you've ever talked, I think.." he muttered, before trying to return to sleep.

...He grabbed her hand. She scowled, snarling at him. He gripped her hand tightly, the kunai not inches from his neck. The kunoichi was straddling him, the kunai about to slice at his neck. He glared up at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Killing you," she hissed, and shifted over him, trying to push the kunai closer to his neck. Her movement felt good, and that made him angry.

He couldn't complain with having the woman over top of him, but the more important thought was, _'Why the hell is she trying to kill me? Aren't we partners?!'_

Nevertheless, his hips moved, causing her to shift again, and bit his lip. _'Feels good,' _he thought, _'But must get her off...'_

Then it came to him. _'...Impostor.'_

"I don't know who the hell you are or why you're impersonating my partner, or WHY you're attempting to assassinate me, but you're not going to be around much longer," he hissed. and with a giant heave of strength, he gripped her tightly, and rolled over so he was on top of her. The pink-headed woman was still glaring at him, and her sheer beauty made him want to fuck her, not kill her. But he knew it wasn't her. His real partner wouldn't have snarled, or showed this much emotion. His real partner acted like she was dead.

"Reveal youself." he hissed, glaring down at her. She turned her head to the side, snarling.

"Fuck you." she spat, trying to push the kunai towards him.

"I know you would," he growled back, before grabbing her neck forcefully, making her drop the kunai. She choked, but the snarl remained on the beautiful face of his partner as he lifted her from the ground, standing. He backed her up against a tree, grabbing his own kunai and pressing it to her neck.

She poofed, and in his partner's place was a blue-haired female, with a black cloak on. The cloak had red clouds on it, and his eyes widened. "Akatsuki." he growled.

"Konan, to be exact," she smirked, before part of her disappeared into paper. His eyes widened in surprise, and he leaped back.

"Where the hell did you put my partner?!" he growled, looking around frantically for the origami-user.

"Oh, she's fine." he heard. "Pretty girl, how unfortunate she didn't even know I was coming.. Must not be much of a ninja.."

"Don't you dare insult her!" he hissed, and stopped when he realized what he said. He didn't know why he said it, because he didn't like her.. did he? He was attracted to her physically, he wouldn't lie, but what was there to like about her? He didn't understand anything at the moment, but he hoped he would soon.. If he didn't die first, he thought.

Not seeing the Akatsuki female anywhere at the moment, he ran. He looked for the familiar pink hair of his partner, activated his Byakugan. Though tired, he scanned through the vast forest, and found her a ways away, fighting off some huge figure with a chakra-infused sword.

_'I have to help her..!' _he thought. He ran the fastest he could towards her and the enemy. He leaped into the trees swiftly, and his Byakugan caught sight of the female Akatsuki behind him. He grit his teeth and hurried on, and soon his partner and the Akatsuki known as "Kisame Hoshigaki" came into plain view. However, keeping his Byakugan on, he saw the woman's chakra running low. He swooped down easily from the trees once he reached them, and grabbed her up as the Akatsuki's sword came swinging at her.

He leaped back up into the trees, her under his arm securely. He looked down at her, before asking hurriedly, "Are you alright?"

"..Yeah." she said. And even though he could see a deep gash in her side, she had the _same _expression on her face. She coughed up blood into her hand, and looked at it blankly. Neji stared at her concernedly, as he leaped at a fast pace through the trees.

"We're luring them towards the village, let's see if they fall for the bait," he leaned down and whispered as he leaped, then carried on faster through the trees. The Akatsuki followed behind still, and he was barely able to dash fast enough to hold them off. He had to dash a straight path, in order for them to follow easily, but he couldn't make it look too obvious. He veered quickly to the left, dodging behind a tree and heading in that direction. He wasn't heading straight for Konoha, but he couldn't be obvious, or else they wouldn't follow the trail.

"I…" he looked down at the female under his arm, who wasn't looking very good. "..I've gone to the village to get reinforcements.." she choked, then poofed into thin air. He gawked, then leaped to the ground, swerving to the left and hiding. He then made a clone, and it changed into his partner's form. He then picked her up, and she squeaked, giggling.

"You're not acting right," he told the fake partner. "Act dead."

She pouted, but nevertheless acted unconscious. He rolled his eyes, but decided he liked her giggle, even if it wasn't real. If only he could hear it from the real version—

'_Get those thoughts out of your head!' _he shouted mentally at himself. _'Focus on what's at hand.'_

His Byakugan looked behind him, and still the two criminals remained, so his partner should be safe unless she ran into other trouble. He shook his head. _'I shouldn't underestimate her,' _he thought. _'I'm sure she's strong, if she made it to ANBU.'_

She focused on the trees and getting to her destination as fast as possible. The only thought that passed through her head was, _'He'd better be able to hold them off.__..__'_

She furrowed her pink brows in concentration, speeding as fast as her chakra-infused legs would carry her.

The blonde ran a hand through his hair, blue eyes shining as he looked out the window, trying to ignore the ten-foot-tall piles of paperwork piled on his desk.

"Why did I ever want to be the Hokage again..?" he wondered aloud, leaning back in his chair.

Shaking his head, he turned back around, trying to return his attention to his paperwork. "Wonder how Neji's doing," he murmured as he began stamping various papers with the Hokage's seal, reading and looking at others. Suddenly, the door burst open and there stood a pink-haired kunoichi, out-of-breath and urgent-looking.

He stood, face expression turning from relaxed, to concerned. "What is it Sakura-chan?"

"Akatsuki," she breathed. "In the forests north of the village. Neji-san's trying to lure them closer to the village, we need to gather Shinobi up to capture them." she pointed.

Naruto nodded, before saying, "Come with me!"

The two travelled, going to the ANBU headquarters. They gathered all available ANBU from there, and went to the ROOT division. As soon as Naruto saw the familiar pale skin and black hair of the 20-year-old he was looking for, he yelled, "Sai!"

The man turned to them, giving his signature eye-crease smile. "Naruto-kun."

Naruto rushed over to him, the kunoichi trailing behind him. "Sai! We need all root Anbu available!" he said to the captain.

Sai nodded. "I'll see what I can do." He said.

"Have them meet us at the front gate, you as well!" Naruto called, as the ANBU captain disappeared.

Naruto sighed as the two left the headquarters. He ran a hand through his long, spiky blonde hair, saying, "I hope they keep the march to the gates on the down-low.. I don't want the village getting into an uproar."

"We're ANBU, we should know that if even if it's urgent to keep it quiet." The pink-headed woman trailing along with him replied coldly, voice stoic.

Naruto stopped abruptly, looking down. His blue eyes were about brimming with tears, as he looked at her. ".. What happened to you?"

The woman's lifeless green eyes rested on his saddened face for a moment, before she began rushing away to the gates. The Hokage reached out for a moment, calling out her name. "What about Neji?!" he yelled.

She didn't stop, but she looked back, and the blonde's eyes widened at the look on her face. Her pale complexion was darkened by a small shadow of fear, anxiety and concern flashing in her eyes.

She was gone in an instant.

Naruto stood there, eyes wide. _'It wasn't much,' _he thought, _'…But it was something.'_

He had to admit that however impressed he was with her thinking ahead, he wasn't holding up very well against the two nuke nin. He was losing speed; fast. He was growing tired, and he been running in circles to try and divert them from himself, hold their attention just long enough until said reinforcements were able to get there and annihilate the pair. The male, with the large wrapped-up sword was gaining speed, despite his bulk and size.

Neji glanced back to see them right on his heels. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when the blue man leaped up, sword raised over his head. Neji barely had time to leap out of the way as the sword came crashing down and crating a huge hole in the large limp he was previously on. Neji was now swerving to the right, and the Akatsuki resumed the chase, following close behind.

"Heh heh, you can't run forever!" Kisame cackled, sword hoisted over his shoulder again.

Suddenly, the female rushed forward, and tackled Neji off the branch he was about to leap from. The two fell the long distance before hitting the ground, Neji on his back and her over him. She held a kunai at his neck, smirking wildly. "My chakra's running low or I'd be using my favorite jutsu to cast you away," she grinned, "So you're quite lucky. Attractive, too.."

"Get the hell off of me you wench," he spat, and she 'tsk'ed.

"Now now, Leaf nin.." she purred. "Don't struggle…"

As she moved the kunai closer, she was suddenly stiffened up, a kunai at her own neck. Neji looked up at saw his partner standing behind the Akatsuki, kunai pressed to her neck. The pink-haired beauty had a snarl on her face, and she hissed lowly, "You touch my partner again in _any _way, I'll see to it you have a death even more painful than the one you'll experience in Konoha's jails."

Neji's eyes widened. In the woman's eyes were some sort of anger, and even though it wasn't a pleasant emotion, it was.. Something.

Suddenly, the female Akatsuki turned into thousands of little slips of paper, floating away in the direction of her own associate. His partner then held a hand out, face in its usual emotionless expression. "Are you alright?" he asked, and she nodded, before looking up at the limb Kisame stood upon. He was completely surrounded by ANBU, and the look on the shark-man's face told Neji he knew there was no escaping them.

Suddenly, that giant sword began swinging about, and ANBU went flying. They quickly re-surrounded him, and he began battling, though failing miserably against the hordes.

"Can't they just come silently?" Neji asked no one in particular, exhasperated.

Surprisingly to him, he heard a cold chuckle in response. "They don't know when to give up." was the reply.

He looked at his partner, before turning to her. He stared down at her, and her dull green eyes finally shifted to him, emotionless yet slightly questioning. Suddenly, it seemed as if his mind went blank. Still staring at her beautiful, yet cold face, his hand slowly reached out and touched her glossy pink hair. It was soft to the touch, full and thick. He slowly ran a few fingers through the thick pink locks, completely forgetting about the fight going on right near them, and the situation at hand. It was as if he was in a trance.

Suddenly, a small, soft hand grabbed his, gripping it. He opened his light, pupil-less eyes, and saw that she'd grabbed his hand and was looking at him. "Neji-san, I don't think now is the time for this," she commented in a rather soft tone, and let his hand go. Is mouth slightly hung open, face turning pink in embarrassment. "G-Gomen," he muttered, and she flash-stepped into the midst of the fight.

He decided to search the immediate area for the other Akatsuki.


	4. Anger

**Fuseiseki.**

He heaved a sigh, watching as Hoshigaki Kisame was dragged in chains past him towards Konoha's dungeons. A trap door in an alleyway was opened, Neji turned his head to see, and several ANBU dragged the cuffed nuke-nin underground. The other Akatsuki had escaped; she narrowly dodged Neji, and only under ANBU orders did he halt, and return to Konoha. Kisame had been captured.

He spotted his partner in the streets, heading towards the Hokage's office. He jogged to catch up with her, and she glanced at him emotionlessly before looking ahead. He reached up and pulled his hair back into a high pony-tail, securing it with a tie. He trailed alongside her, peering out over the peaceful-looking homes and villagers walking about.

"It looks better down." Neji turned his head to see the woman still looking ahead, though she stole a glance at him.

"I believe you've mentioned that before," he commented softly. He gazed at her as they walked, the Hokage Tower looming higher over their heads.

"Well it's been a while, hasn't it." The way she said that made it sound more like a statement, but Neji nodded.

"Hai. And through all this time," Neji said, stopping. Not expecting her to stop as well, he blinked and paused before saying, "…I've never learned your name."

Something flashed in her eyes for a moment, but was gone the moment it came. But he caught it, and it made him curious. Finally, she said, "You don't know me..?"

He shook his head, the look on his face slightly guilty. "I swear I've seen you somewhere before, but as an ANBU I'm so busy I don't think I've ever seen you, recently anyways.."

She stared at him, with an unreadable expression. Finally, she said quietly, "You've known me since we were Genin."

His eyes widened in shock. _'It can't be…' _

"…Y-You're…"

"..Sakura Haruno, yes." She looked at him blankly.

He winced, heart clenching slightly. "Y-You've.. Who…" he stepped back, staring at her oddly.

"…You're surprised..?"

"I-I… You've…You can't be Sakura Haruno.." he muttered, pupil-less eyes wide.

".. I am Sakura, doesn't the pink hair give it away?"

"W-Well I thought maybe—" he stuttered. "M-Maybe you got it dyed, or.."

He paused, blinking, when he heard a small chuckle emit from her throat. He straightened, staring at her oddly. Her face soon turned expressionless again, and she said, "No, I didn't get it dyed. It's all natural, Neji-san." She then turned to walk away.

"W-Wait!" he reached out and grabbed her hand. She turned back to look at him coldly, before saying, "I think we shouldn't talk to each other more than necessary, Neji-san."

He flinched. He slowly let go of her hand, and it dropped to her side. She gave him another look, and the blood in his veins turned to ice. His light-colored eyes squinted slightly, and she turned, walking to the Hokage's office. His shoulders heaved in a deep sigh, and he looked after her. He didn't even really know why he was sad to see her go; he didn't like her in the least.

'_Sakura Haruno..' _his mind said thoughtfully, and his brows furrowed in thought. He didn't understand; it was unbelievable how the vivacious, happy Genin Sakura used to be could turn into what that woman was. He shook his head. _'It's no wonder I couldn't recognize her; although she looked almost the same, she was so… different. Even her chakra radiated differently. It was violent and almost… Evil.'_

The Hyuga felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see his old teammate and one of his closest friends, TenTen smiling at him. "How are ya' holding up?" she asked, and they began to walk in another direction together.

He remained silent, only shook his head once and looked away.

"I saw Sakura," TenTen commented, looking in the direction the pink-headed woman had gone. "Is she what you look so upset about?"

He looked at the ground as they walked, loose strands of his dark hair falling into his face. TenTen glanced at him, and frowned, seeing the look on his face. She looped her arm in his and nudged him a bit in an effort to cheer him up. "Hey, Mister Grumpy Gills," she made a fishy face at him, then grinned. "Cheer up."

Neji let a small smile cross his face, and he glanced at his teammate before looking at the sky, continuing their walk. She kept her arm looped in his, which surprised him slightly, but he didn't really mind.

One face looked down upon the teammates angrily, from a room high in the tallest building of Konoha. Green eyes lit on fire that burned in jealousy. Her mouth curled up into a snarl; her nose wrinkled in distaste. She didn't even know why she was so jealous. It just welled up inside of her at the sight of them, without warning. It made her want to hurl, made her jittery.

She didn't have to feel that way for long, however, because her attention was turned away from the streets by the Hokage entering his office. She looked at the 20-year-old, face quickly turning expressionless. "Hokage-sama," she said cordially.

"Sakura-chan, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Naruto?!" the blonde whined, frowning at her.

"At least ten more, Hokage-sama," she said plainly, standing tall.

Naruto let a small sigh escape his lips before he closed the distance between himself and his desk, and sat in his revolving chair. He spun around in it once before settling behind his desk, saying, "What do you need, Sakura-chan?"

"Please, just Haruno-san," she said, looking at him expressionlessly before walking to stand at attention in front of the desk.

Naruto shook his head, crystal blue eyes hazing over. "S-Sakura-chan," he choked, sounding as if he were about to cry. "..W-Why are you being this way..?"

Something flashed in the woman's eyes before they became blank again, and she finally said, "What do you mean?"

"You KNOW what I mean!" Naruto stood, hands crashing down on his desk. Papers went flying, and through the white Sakura saw his eyes aflame, teeth gritted together. Tears threatened to spill as he looked at her in fury.

Sakura flinched slightly, and fought to keep her expression blank. "I don't believe so."

In another flurry of papers, he was standing over her, gripping the collar of her shirt in his hands. His face was mere inches from hers, and she could feel his hot breath on her face as he fought back his tears. "You know what I'm talking about, Sakura, and you seem to have trouble telling me why you became this way. Since you turned eighteen, Sakura! EIGHTEEN!"

Sakura's eyes hardened, and she glared at him coldly. "You wa—"

The sound of a door opening made the two look at it, surprised. They stood stock still, and the person yawned lazily, before saying, "Geez, you two should really do those things somewhere private.."

"Don't lump me in with _him." _Sakura said plainly, before shoving away from the blonde."I'll get someone else to give the report." She then left the room, her stride tall and unaffected.

Naruto hung his head, shrugging away tears. She turned his back on Shikamaru, who took a long drag on his cigarette. "You know, Naruto," he commented lazily, "I don't think there's anything you could do to change her, no matter how hard you try."

"But… _how? _What caused her to change so drastically? She'd been like this…" he put his hands on his desk, and soon his knuckles turned white from gripping the wood so hard. "..For two years.."

"Sasuke," Shikamaru said simply, the hand donning his cigarette raised in a half-shrug. "Simple."

"She wasn't this affected by him when he left! She cried, sure," Naruto looked out the window of his office, and spotted the kunoichi walking down one of the mostly deserted streets of his village. He wondered why the streets were deserted. He looked up at the cloudy sky, and heard the crackling of thunder in the distance and was reminded why. "But.."

"But?" Shikamaru shrugged again. "He's the only thing I can think of that could have done that to her. Unless something happened on a mission," he suggested. "But she seems to be stronger than that."

"Stronger.." he murmured. "Maybe that's why…"

A white shirt and white pants littered the floor, along with other various items of clothing. A shower was heard running, and little trails of steam drifted out under the crack at the bottom of the closed door. Light lavender eyes were closed as hot water poured down over the ANBU's muscular, lean body. His long hair hung in strands over his shoulders and down his back, and one hand rested on the wall opposite him, gripping it.

'_Sakura Haruno, Sakura Haruno..' _her name played over and over again in his mind, repeating itself in an echo. _'..How?'_

"Must ask Naruto tomorrow," he murmured, before turning the water off and stepping out of the shower. He grabbed a towel off the rack, and after drying himself off, he wrapped the towel around his narrow waist. He padded into his bedroom, which was jointed with the bathroom, quickly beginning to rummage through his dresser for something clean. Finding a pair of white boxers, he discarded his towel and quickly covered his nude form with the garments. He heaved a sigh, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

He noticed a few scars that donned his chest and stomach, scratches along his torso. Other than the scars, he noticed that it looked fit. It was rather pale, he spotted, and he ran a hand down his chest, scratching his lean stomach absent-mindedly. He yawned softly, a lock of coffee-brown hair falling into his eyes. He brushed it away carelessly and went to bed, falling into a troubled sleep.

"It's time for interrogation. I want Aburame Shino in here this instant." Naruto ordered, and the ANBU nodded, before disappearing. Neji stood in the middle of the office, arms folded over his chest in an almost regal manner. His normal clothes, the white long-sleeved v-neck shirt and white pants with black over it donned his body, instead of his usual ANBU wear.

"If Shino's the leader of the interrogation squad, why am I here?" Neji asked, in his usual haughty tone. He peered at Naruto, frowning.

"Because, you were there when the Akatsuki were captured," Naruto replied, rubbing his temples with soothing fingers.

"I was off searching for the other one when they took Hoshigaki down," Neji said, frowning deeper. "It'd be wiser to get Haruno-san to accompany Aburame in the interrogation."

"I'm not exactly talking to Sakura-chan at the moment." Naruto growled, shooting a glare out the window in no certain direction.

"You'll have to at some point." Neji frowned, before looking at the door. It opened, and in entered Shino Aburame, looking as creepy as ever. His Genin jacket was long discarded, substituted for a long, black trench-coat. He still wore those sunglasses, and his wiry brown hair stuck-up in the oddest of places. Neji found his appearance amusing, and struggled not to snort every time the man entered the room. It wasn't hard; the man's chakra was strong and ominous, and he looked more serious than ever.

"Aburame-san." Neji greeted him, nodding his head slightly. Shino wordlessly nodded in return, before casting his shadowed gaze upon the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, you requested my presence."

"Shino!" Naruto chuckled, laying a hand on his shoulder and grinning. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Naruto, 'tebayo?"

"Naruto," Shino's lips began to curve upwards, but drifted back down quickly. "Is this about the Akatsuki that's been recently captured?"

Naruto's face turned grim, and he nodded solemnly. "You know what to do, Shino."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Shino nodded, before disappearing.

"It's Naruto!" Naruto called, rolling his eyes. He nodded towards Neji. "Go on, give me a report when they're done for the day."

Neji sighed, unfolding his arms from his chest and disappearing out the window.

He looked around, seeing the familiar trap-door to the dungeons open in the alleyway. He approached it, knowing they'd left it open for him and hadn't been there long. He squatted, before hopping in the hole, landing gracefully on his feet shortly after. He then hopped up and grabbed the trap door, closing it as he returned to the ground. Looking around and deciding he couldn't see very well, and seeing as he didn't have a candle or match, he activated his Kekkei Genkai.

"Byakugan!" he said lowly, as his vision turned from poor to excellent. He saw the walls, every nook and cranny on all sides. He saw the chakra radiating from each prisoner cell that was occupied. Which weren't many, he noted afterwards. He saw many different chakra signatures coming from a cell near the back.

"Must be where they're at," he murmured, dashing off towards the cell.


	5. Investigation

**Fuseiseki.**

All through the questioning and harassment of the Akatsuki trapped in the cell, Neji was distracted.

Distracted by the woman he's spent months with, with little more than two sentences to each other a day.

...Yet, he couldn't take his mind off her. Her unexplainable beauty, the way she kept herself closed to the world.. _'Sakura haruno,' _Neji thought in wonder, resting his jaw on his knuckles while sitting at a desk. He was deaf to all the threats swarming around him, aimed at the blue man chained in chakra-sealant cuffs to the wall. His mind was swamped with the thought of her. The faint scent of fresh lavender and warm vanilla whenever he accidentally got too close, the way her hands rested on her curves when she gave him a slightly cynical look, the rare, but surprisingly delightful moments he caught a hint of some emotion other than haughtiness or cynicism in her eyes.

He couldn't, wouldn't bring himself to say it out loud, or admit it to anyone at all, but he couldn't deny: he was intoxicated by her.

Physically... and emotionally. He didn't know how, didn't know why; he pondered it many a time during the days they travelled the nations surrounding Konoha. While in Suna, the hot sun tanned his skin slightly; and as they passed through Mist, the chilly weather and cloudy skies returned his pale skin to its normal state. His eyes, light lavender, seemed to sparkle when he caught sight of her, at least in the later days of their travel; and he thanked Kami she didn't catch it-- If she did, she didn't let on.

He sighed softly, shaking his head and lifting his face from his hand. He closed his powerful eyes, rubbing his temples slightly to try and get rid of the dull throb reverberating throughout the back of his head. The words Shino and his crew were speaking and the tone of voice they were using didn't help; it made it worse.

He got up, chair squeaking as it slid back. Shino immediately stopped his interrogation to peer at Neji from behind his circular sunglasses. Neji inwardly wondered how he could stand to have such dark shades on, when it was so dark already. He could understand when it was a sunny day, but as far as Neji was told, he even wore them while sleep, at night, everywhere.

"I'm leaving," Neji said airily, waltzing out of the room before Shino or any of the others could question him. His long hair fluttered behind him, a few strands hanging out of the band wrapped tightly around the ends of his hair, around waist-level. He silently wondered to himself as he walked why he kept his hair so long. As far as he knew, it wasn't exactly a rule in his clan; it was just more of a... _tradition. _Nevertheless, he thought about shortening it, tapping his chin in thought as he trailed along the long, dark corridors. It wasn't too troublesome during battle, but it perhaps would help with his speed if it were shorter; less hair for the wind to catch and slow his movements. Perhaps even the slightest change and his luck in battle would improve.

He smiled a bit; he wasn't thinking about Sakura for a change, and was quite pleased with himself.

Until he realized he was just thinking about her. He slapped his forehead, muttering curses. However, before he knew it, he was under the trap door that led to the fresh air and green grass of the outside. Gathering a small amount of chakra on the palm of his hand, he then shoved his hand upwards, grunting. The chakra was blown in the direction of the trap door, causing it to fly open, wind whooshing around the Hyuga. His hair blew about, getting in his face and falling over his shoulder, and he was reminded once again about his consideration of cutting it off.

He straightened his body, which had gone into a slightly crouched stance, similar to his Juken stance. He glanced up into the light, shining through the square trap door's opening, before quickly disappearing and reappearing in front of the trap door. The bright sun made his pale skin tingle, and he shuddered slightly, before closing the trap door and covering it.

He turned to begin walking down the alleyway, approaching the exit onto one of the main streets of the village. He sharply turned the corner, bumping into something and making it topple over. He looked down to see his cousin Hinata in a heap on the ground, and rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Hinata." he sighed, before helping her up.

She slowly and carefully brushed the dirt from her clothes, before looking at him and saying timidly, "H-Hello, Neji-niisan.."

He nodded, and they began walking together, Neji's stride smooth with his arms folded over his chest. Hinata shuffled along, fingers fiddling in front of her chest as she meekly looked down. "A-Anything new?" she asked, finally.

"I've been thinking about cutting my hair." he said thoughtfully, looking slightly to the side in thought. "I figured having shorter hair might help in battle."

"That's useful, N-Neji-niisan, but.." Hinata stuttered, looking away and turning pink. "H-Having long hair.. i-is a Hyuga tradition.."

"...Yet, you had short hair during our Genin years." Neji gave her a look.

Hinata quieted, now even more hesitant to speak.

"I don't know," Neji sighed, looking at the sky. "It's just a thought. But I figured it may help. Who knows."

She didn't know why she was so jealous. They were _cousins, _after all. But yet, she couldn't hide that lump rising to her throat, the sick, angry feeling growing inside of her. It made her want to scream and hit something. But no, that would make her lose her composure. She couldn't, _wouldn't _show any emotion. She'd made that vow long ago, and planned to keep it.. No matter how much the man she'd only associated much within the past few months unravelled her.

She sighed; it was only a matter of time before she was rolled out, and every emotion in her shattering crystal heart would come pouring out upon herself, and everyone else.

She would probably cry; she'd probably do many other things, as well.

Bile was rising in her throat; she swallowed it down, growling softly to herself. Her hands clenched the window sill before her, knuckles turning white. She looked at the two Hyugas chatting idly as they trailed down the street below, and her brows furrowed angrily. She abruptly turned away in a huff, and made her way out of her room.

"See you, Neji-niisan.." Hinata said quietly, giving him a small wave. He gave her a nod, and she trailed from the street into the Hyuga district. He continued to make his way down the street, enjoying the relative quiet. Of course, the slight hum of travelers and villagers tending to their business still reached his ears, but no immediate conversation was made. Noone to make conversation with, in fact.

The talk with Hinata had been quite boring; she wasn't much for speaking. Neji didn't know what was wrong with her, actually. As long as he'd known her, she'd _always _been shy. All through her toddler years, junior years, Genin years, Chunin years.. Even now, at twenty, she was still making an awkward attempt at conversation.

..Unlike Sakura. She actually made someone interesting to talk to; in the little he'd talked to her, he found her perspective on life, and the general quite unique. He wished desperately to talk with her more, but he didn't see that happening any time soon. She probably hadn't thought about him once since they'd returned from their trip; at least, not the way he constantly thought about her. She was different, unique, in every way. She was unlike any woman he'd ever met, and he was too blind and arrogant in his Genin years to try talking to, much less making friends with anyone, much less her. He remembered; yes, he nodded, he remembered her as a Genin.

Weak, helpless.

But also, full of emotion, so full of opinion, and so boisterous, happy, sad, everything. Her heart was free. He remembered that much, yes; but now.. It was if she were a different person. He didn't know when that change in personality occurred, for he never really associated with her in their older years either, but even though he never knew her, he wouldn't have wished such a lack of emotion in her… Or anyone, in fact.

Even he, Neji Hyuga, couldn't see living life with such a dead personality.

But oh, those moments when her shield broke and those hints of emotion shone through; those were the moments he loved, looked forward to.

He shook his head, trying to clear his head. He didn't know why he was so interested in Sakura Haruno. She was a powerful kunoichi, yes. One of the best in the village. But she was so dead; he didn't see how she had any friends—_if _she had any friends.

He was pondering this thought when his stomach growled. He sighed, and decided to grab something to satiate his hunger, in case he'd be called for a mission. Upon making the decision to fill up on ramen (which was like rice—Less was more, it filled your stomach quickly), he found it convenient that his walk ended right near Ichiraku's. Lifting up a flap, he ducked into the bar, looking for a free stool.

That was when he spotted her; oh, her with the soft pink hair and plump rosy lips, her with the delicious-looking hips that he'd only had the pleasure of viewing once in all the time he'd known her, her with the dull green eyes that seemed to glow when her personality shone through, her with the absolutely intoxicating scent that drove him crazy every time he got close enough to smell it.

His mind went into robot mode and his body moved of its own accord in the direction of the stool next to hers. _'She said we shouldn't see each other!' _he screamed, but was paid no heed as he took his seat beside her.

Without a glance at him, Sakura said calmly, "I thought we shouldn't see each other."

"There's no other stools." He pointed out, then inwardly face-palmed himself when he saw there was indeed one other empty stool on the other side of the shop.

"Yes there is," she said quietly, looking at him blankly.

_That blank look again._

Neji grit his teeth, and couldn't stop himself. He blurted out rather loudly, "Why the hell do you do that?!"

Sakura's face remained passive, and she muttered, "What do you mean?"

"You know damn well what I mean." He muttered lowly, glaring at her. The chef, who was standing there waiting to take their order, looked at them oddly.

"Excuse us," Neji growled, and took Sakura's wrist. He tugged her out under the flaps, and dragged her to the nearest alleyway, where he knew they wouldn't be heard. As soon as they were out of sight, he shoved her against the wall, and she grunted as her back hit the cold stone. Still her face remained expressionless, and he rounded on her, grabbing her wrists roughly and holding them above her head. Determined to extract _some _kind of emotion from her, he crushed her lips with his own, earning a small "mmph".

… He needed more. He glared into her eyes, which were still blank, and slid his tongue along her lips, shoving them apart and sliding his tongue into her mouth. He felt her hands clench into fists by the contraction of muscles in her wrists, and he gripped her wrists tighter, knowing he must've been making imprints on them.

But he didn't care. He ravaged her mouth, pressing against her to leave no room for resistance. He felt a small sense of triumph when he saw a small pink blush creep up her cheeks, but the still blank expression in her eyes angered him further.

He jerked his lips away from her, and glared into her eyes, heaving a bit. _"Do something," _he growled, jerking her wrists slightly. She winced, but still her face remained passive. "Take your hands from me," she whispered, and little did he know, her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she did her best to restrain her shaky breaths. She'd never been touched so intimately before, much less in a rough way, such as this. Not that she didn't want this; she did. Oh, how she'd dreamt many a night of his hands roaming her body, causing her to unleash her inner emotion and scream his name..

But she couldn't break that oath she'd sworn to herself. She shook her head, shoving away from him with all her force. He stumbled only slightly, but she took the small opportunity she was given and ran with all her might. Fighting back small tears forming in her eyes, she fought also to keep that oh-so infamous blank expression on her face. She soon got to her home, slamming the door shut behind her and collapsing back against it.

Only then, in the safety of her own secretive home, did she let the tears fall.

A month passed. Nothing was extracted from the Akatsuki being held prisoner, and by the time Shino and the ANBU Investigation Squad were done with him, the blue man was covered in cuts, scrapes, bruises, welts, burns, and other sores of various shapes and sizes. But never was his spirit broken; Neji had learned that when he was assigned to go visit him.

"Neji, Shino's failed rather miserably in his attempts to get any information on the remaining Akatsuki, Madara Uchiha, or.. Sasuke," he remembered Naruto saying. "Therefore, maybe a change of direction is in order. Make conversation. Try to get something, _anything _from him. Go!"

Neji had obeyed quietly, immediately making his way towards the cell containing the nuke-nin.

"Ohayo," he murmured, as he kicked open the lock on the cage Kisame was in. Neji yawned quietly, stretching his arms above his head. Kisame eyed him curiously, and Neji re-locked the cage, sitting down in a chair across from him.

In another attempt at polite conversation, Neji said, "The weather's been quite dreary lately."

"Oh yes, I've noticed." Kisame grunted, voice taking on a slightly sarcastic tone. Neji's eyes narrowed slightly on him in annoyance, but his face soon returned to normal, peering at him expressionlessly.

"Alright, let me get down to it—" Neji stood, spinning the chair around easily and sitting in it backwards, chest pressing against the backside of the chair. He leaned forward intently. However, the words that came out of his mouth were not intended: "What do you know of love, Akatsuki?"

Kisame stared at the Hyuga as if he'd grown another head. "… _Love?"_

Neji's eyes widened in embarrassment, and he looked at the man before him, slightly flabbergasted. "I-I meant, what do you know about the other Akatsuki?"

Kisame cackled, leaning forward, back rising from the cold stone wall he sat against. ".. Isn't love against the code of the ninja?"

Neji looked away, scowling. "Answer my question!"

"I don't know much of love," Kisame peered at him intently, almost searching his face for the story behind his odd question. "But I do know it's something that doesn't go away easily."

Neji blurted, "Does this mean you've felt it before??"

"Hell no!" Kisame chuckled evilly, face contorted into an expression of mirth. "I am quite educated, contrary to my appearance.."

"Well, you must not be, if Gai beat you," Neji mumbled, before letting his cold eyes narrow on the blue man. ".. Tell me all you know."

".. You tell me first." Kisame responded, folding his arms over his chest and smirking widely.

"Tell you what?"

"I'd like to know this.. story, behind your odd questioning. I know not just any ninja goes around asking criminals about love."

"My head went blank!" Neji stammered angrily. "I didn't know what I was thinking! And, there is NO story!"

"Oh, come now, Konoha nin." Kisame gave him a knowing look. "Every great shinobi has a mind that is clear at all times, even in the midst of battle. And from the color of your headband and the look of your clothes, it is apparent you are of high status."

"But—"

"It is also evident in the way you walk. The way you carry yourself, the tone of your voice. Although I'd say you're also sounding a tad immature at the moment."

Neji looked away, snarling. "Trade for a trade. I tell you my story, you tell me about the other Akatsuki, Madara Uchiha, and Sasuke."

"How about.. You tell me your story and I give you some advice, kid."

Neji growled impatiently. "The reason I was sent down here was to question you about the Akatsuki and the Uchihas alone!!"

"Look, kid." Kisame held his hands up, palms lifted, shrugging. "I don't know anything. You can't get anything out of me if you tried to wring it from me."

"I don't believe criminals." Neji said shortly.

"Come off it." Kisame rolled his eyes. "The criminal act was long given up when the rest of the Akatsuki were killed up and Konan and I had to run to stay alive. I'm as common as any traveler, now. Except more powerful." He cackled.

Neji grit his teeth, and hastily returned to his chair, plopping down in his chair. "You've got a deal. But Naruto won't be pleased if I go back empty-handed."

"Let him throw a hissy fit." Kisame shrugged. "He's the Hokage. He can get over it."

Neji rolled his eyes, ignoring the comment, and clearing his throat. "A woman."

"Ahh, yes. That says it all." The shark-man cackled with glee. "This will be interesting."

Neji's eyes narrowed on him before he hung his head, sighing. "An extraordinary woman. One look from her, and the blood in your veins turns to ice.. She's so secretive, she keeps her emotions locked away inside, and her face remains a painting of deadness, scorn, haughtiness. It all started when she was assigned to be my partner, to comb the lands around Konoha to search for you and the blue-haired woman."

"Konan." Kisame said thoughtfully.

"Yes, well, she tried to seduce me, or something of the sort." Neji shook his head, returning to his original train of thought. "All the while I was with her I didn't know her name, yet it was on the tip of my tongue. She was so familiar, yet her face was so dead I couldn't tell who it was. I hated her at first; but as the days went by, I grew fascinated with her. I watched her every move, trying to find out what made her tick. However, she kept herself under a veil the whole time."

"Very descriptive," Kisame smirked. "You should be a writer."

Neji rolled his eyes, before going on. "I didn't understand her, yet I felt like I knew her my entire life. It was hard to explain. And I began to develop feelings.. odd feelings I've never felt. I don't know what they are. Maybe, I merely want to see some emotion come from her lifeless eyes? Or maybe, it's something more? I don't know, but nothing could come across my lips that could describe it."

"Go on." Kisame urged.

"Well, after you'd been captured—"

"I remember that well." Kisame said disdainfully.

"Yes, well," Neji snapped, "After you'd been captured, I'd finally given up on guessing and asked her name. Surprised was I to find that this dead, lifeless, yet extremely intoxicating woman was Sakura Haruno."

The blue man raised an eyebrow. "Pinkie?"

Neji hissed. "Yes. Pinkie. And every day.. that urge to make her feel something, to feel something _from _her, became stronger. And a few months ago.. I'd taken her into an alleyway. And if she hadn't stopped me, I probably would've raped her." Neji said quietly, almost shamefully.

"Would she have been good, do you think?" Kisame smirked, cackling.

".. She is the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.." Neji whispered, looking at something in the distance.

"Yep, that's about it," Kisame grunted, standing slowly and stretching, the shackles around his ankles jangling.

"About what??" Neji demanded, standing up as well.

"You're in love. Simple." Kisame smirked knowingly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have sleeping to do."

Neji turned on his heel haughtily, enraged. He then left, slamming the cage door closed and locking it behind him.

'_There's no way I can be in love,' _he thought disdainfully, tossing his head to the side, hair tossing behind him. _'It's impo—'_

'_But.. maybe it's not.. impossible,' _he breathed, biting his lip.

He continued on his way faster, picking up his pace.


	6. Message

**Fuseiseki.**

"So you might or might know what you've been called here for." Naruto said, leaning back in his revolving chair, avoiding Sakura's lifeless gaze. He instead kept his eyes on Neji, Lee, Shikamaru, and Ino.

"Nain." Shikamaru replied for the group. Naruto looked from left to right, his eyes going over Ino, Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, then finally rested on Sakura. The blue orbs flashed, a mixture of anger and sadness passing through them.

"Well," he grunted, shifting to sit upright in his chair. He peered at Neji. "You five are going to Suna."

"Nani?" Ino blinked. "Why Suna?"

Naruto closed his eyes. "Suna, as you know, is low on shinobi, from the small war they'd gone through with Mist a while back."

The nin nodded, cognition passing through their face expressions.

"I've assigned you all to keep the area surrounding Suna scouted for Madara Uchiha, Sasuke, the missing Akatsuki, and any other suspicious figures. One of you is to come back immediately to notify myself, and the rest of you are to hold them away from Suna at all costs. The person to come back should approach Suna first, and notify Gaara so he can send reinforcements."

"Hai!" they all replied in unison.

"If you have any questions, Gaara should keep you educated." Naruto said, before adding, "Take enough to last until you get there. You'll be splitting up in shifts once you get there."

They all nodded.

"Tei kijo mori!" Naruto waved them off, and they nodded once more, disappearing.

~;;NxS;;~

Neji made his way to the Hyuga Compound, his old teammate Lee trailing along. He glanced back slightly agitatedly to see the man's bowl-cut black hair, and oddly-shaped eyes peering at his surroundings. "..Never been in the compound before, Lee?"

Lee glanced back at Neji, blinking. "Eh? No no, Neji. It just never ceases to amaze me how.. un-youthful the place is."

Neji's eye twitched, and he resisted the urge to hit the idiot. "Still going on about youth? Gai's getting as old as these buildings, does that mean he's unyouthful as well..?"

Lee's eyes widened, and he began babbling, flustered. "No no! I-I mean, Gai-sensei's a hu-- W-Well-- The buildings are--"

Neji shook his head, sighing. "Honestly, Lee. You never cease to amaze me how.. much of an idiot you are."

At Lee's glare, Neji smirked to himself and continued on his way.

As they traversed the stairs, Neji looked up to see Hinata heading straight down towards them, vision blocked by a large pile of boxes in her arms. He rolled her eyes, knowing what was bound to happen, and quickly before she knocked into him, turned out of the way and grabbed half of the boxes from her. She squeaked and tripped, about to fall. Lee quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her straight, catching the falling boxes on top of his foot. He gently lowered the boxes, helping her upright. "Are you alright, Hinata-san?" he asked.

"H-Hai, Arigato Gozaimashite," she mumbled, before grabbing the boxes carefully placed on the steps by Lee and moving to take the boxes from Neji. Lee however grabbed the boxes in her arms and the two men motioned for her to go in the direction she planned on taking the boxes so they could follow.

"G-Gomen," Hinata blushed, heading down the stairs and out the front door. She held the door open for the two men, and they went back out into the hot sun.

"Nonsense, Hinata." Neji said. "And honestly, instead of trying to do it all by yourself, ask for some help. You were an accident waiting to happen back there."

"G-Gomen, Neji-niisan," she whispered, bowing her head and walking along.

"What are all these boxes for anyways?" Lee asked curiously, head peeking out from behind some boxes.

"U-Uhm, they're my things," Hinata whispered, almost shamefully, hanging her head.

"Then why are we taking them out of the Compound?" Neji asked, blinking and frowning at her. Hinata closed her eyes, lower lip trembling.

"F-Father wants me to move out, so I-I'm staying with K-Kiba-kun," she murmured.

"Hiashi wants you to move out??" Neji frowned angrily, brows furrowing. "What??"

"H-Hai," Hinata nodded, head bowed. "H-He says I-I'm too much trouble.."

_'I can't take care of this right now,' _Neji thought angrily, _'But I'll take care of it sooner or later.'_

"I'll get this taken care of when I get back, Hinata." Neji assured her, and almost ran into the wall of Kiba's house from not looking where he was going.

Hinata nodded shyly, avoiding their eyes. Neji and Lee set the boxes down, and as Neji turned to leave, Lee put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "If Neji says he'll do something, Hinata-san, Neji'll do it!" he gave her a thumbs-up and a large grin.

Hinata smiled softly. "A-Arigato," she murmured.

"Well, we're off," Neji said, waving. Lee turned to join the Hyuga, and Hinata waved. "Arigato, Neji-niisan, Lee! Ja ne!"

"Honestly," Neji muttered, shaking his head.

~;;NxS;;~

"Everyone's here, ja?" Shikamaru looked at the other four gathered.

"Hai," they all answered. Neji cast his gaze over the heads of Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, and Lee who was standing next to him. His gaze returned to Sakura, and remained there the entire time Shikamaru talked. He stared at her; her beautiful face that always seemed to be framed with falling Cherry Blossoms.

She stole a glance at him, obviously noticing his eyes on her. She snarled for a moment, before looking away.

He looked slightly taken aback. Then, remembering what he'd done, he looked down, frowning. _'I'm sorry,' _he thought. _'… What's come over me..?'_

"Okay, so since Naruto didn't give us specific roles to play in this, let's figure them out now," Shikamaru continued. "The person fastest in this group besides Lee is Ino, so she'll be the one to run and notify both Suna and Naruto. Sakura's our medic, of course, so everyone watch out for her, and Lee, Neji and myself are defenders, along with Sakura."

"Hai!" they all replied in unison.

"Okay, so let's set off!" Shikamaru nodded towards the trees, and all of them were gone in the blink of an eye.

Along the way, as the shinobi travelled, Ino tried to make idle chatter with Sakura before giving up at the pink-headed woman's lack of response. Ino moved over to Shikamaru and began chatting him up, and that was when Neji took his chance. With a great leap, he moved up to Sakura's side, and glanced at her. Her jade eyes were on him, and the evil that emanated from them made him shiver involuntarily.

"Sakura," he murmured softly, glancing at her apologetically, "I'm sorry.."

"Save it." She hissed, before leaping ahead again. Neji huffed, looking down, before carrying on with the group. Lee came up beside him, a slightly bewildered look on his face.

"Neji, what was with Sakura-chan just now? What did you do?" he questioned.

Neji was reluctant to answer. He looked down, glaring at the branched he leaped across. "It's a long story, Lee."

"We have time, Neji."

Neji grit his teeth. "What I mean is, I don't want to _talk about it, _Lee." He hissed.

Lee sighed, obviously letting the subject go. "Fine, Neji, Whatever you say."

As Lee joined Shikamaru and Ino, Neji kept his thoughts to himself. "Whatever I say," he whispered to himself, before letting his eyes flicker to Sakura's graceful form, just ahead of him.

~;;NxS;;~

Suna.

Hot, dusty, dry, and brittle are only four words that described it. Neji could think of plenty more, and none of them were good. The only good thing about the bright, relentless sun, was the way it made Sakura's skin sparkle when the sunlight bounced off of it. She looked absolutely glorious, like an angel, surrounded by light. And for a moment, Neji could even imagine her face with a bright smile on it, lighting her whole person up, making her even more angelic.

He finally could bring himself to look away from her, and focused his attention on Shikamaru, who was saying something about supplies. He forced himself to look like he was paying attention, but he couldn't take his mind off of the woman not four feet from him. Each passing day, his thoughts prolonged on her. Each day, he grew more and more attached to her. In the last few days before the mission, he even caught himself trying to sneak around just to catch a glimpse of her. What was even worse was that TenTen caught him doing the same thing.

Needless to say, she'd brought him back to her small cottage and the two had a long talk about the whole thing.

Neji was always grateful for TenTen. As well as being an amazing kunoichi, he knew he could tell her anything, and she'd understand. He sometimes felt more in tune with her than with Lee. He didn't know what he'd do without TenTen.

He used to think he'd marry TenTen when he got old enough, when he was ready. Back in his Genin years. TenTen was the only girl he ever talked to, besides Hinata. And hell if he was going to marry _her._

He didn't have any problems with Hinata, although he could list a page long trail of her faults. But she was his cousin, and that was the way he wanted it. Hinata may have had a bit more faults and setbacks than the average person, but Neji was the perfect critic. He could find a fault in almost everyone.

Like, for instance, TenTen. No one could get her near chocolate, or she went crazy. Lee was overly-enthusiastic, which caused him to be blind to almost all logic, which hurt him in missions a lot of the time. Gai…

He wasn't even going to get started on Gai. Hinata, of course, was clumsy, too shy, stuttered too much, and was so helpful it almost got annoying. Ino, although she was much better about it now than she was in her Genin years, was a little bit more concerned with her hair and looks than a shinobi should be. Chouji could be described with one word: food. Shikamaru, although smart, was too lazy for his own good.

Kiba was rowdy as always, and like Naruto, never thought first before charging head-first into battle. Shino was, well.. as it turned out, the bug-user had found his first love.. in sadism. Which was why he replaced Ibiki Morino in the investigations department. Kakashi brought his book everywhere with him, which was a sin all in itself. Neji had had the displeasure of glancing at the book, and as soon as it opened, it closed. He was forever scarred.

Neji could even find a fault in himself. He was overly critic, often let his pride get in the way of his judgement, and even couldn't keep himself from looking down on others occasionally, as he did in his Genin years.

The one person he couldn't find a single fault in.. was _her._

There may have been a fault, like the fact that she was almost completely emotionless, and the emotions she did show were negative, and she never smiled, but he couldn't see them. He was oblivious to anything but her perfection.

It wasn't long before Neji finally snapped out of his thought monologue, and realized that the rest of them were nearly fifty feet away, heading in the direction of the Kazekage's office. "Shit," he cursed, and dashed forward, quickly catching up with them.

"Daydreaming, Neji?" Lee teased, and Neji rolled his eyes.

"Something like that," he murmured, looking down at the rough sand he ran on. His arms fluttering behind him to decrease wind resistance and allow him a greater speed, he stared straight ahead to the giant building looming over them.

~;;NxS;;~

"I'm sure you all know what to do, so I won't go into detail," the red-head before them said in his deep, rough voice. He stood tall, hands behind his back. He looked dignified.. majestic, even. Neji smugly noted the blush on Ino's face as she stared at him. _'Ino? Having the hots for Gaara? That's something new..' _he thought, fighting the small smirk off of his face.

It was obvious that Gaara noticed the blush too, for he raised an invisible eyebrow at her curiously before looking back at Shikamaru. "I wanted to thank you all for coming."

Shikamaru nodded, smirking slightly. "It's our pleasure, Kazekage-sama."

"Please, just Gaara," he murmured, letting his eyes trail over all their faces. They stopped and rested on Sakura, and curiosity lit them up. "Who is that one?"

"Sakura Haruno, sir," Sakura said quietly, coldly.

Gaara's eyes widened slightly, and he looked bewildered. "You mean… you're.. _her?"_

'_Hmph,' _Neji's eyes narrowed on her. _'See, I'm not the only one who couldn't have guessed..'_

"Hai, sir." Sakura kept her eyes trained to the floor, face carefully blank.

Gaara shook his head slightly, before nodding at Shikamaru. "You may go," he said. "I'll have Jonin send supplies daily."

"Arigato." Shikamaru bowed, as did all the rest of them. Neji caught Ino blushing more in his peripheral vision.

They then disappeared.

~;;NxS;;~

They were all posted at different sections of the outside wall surrounding Suna, microphones placed in their care. All were set to the same dial, so they could communicate. It was in case any one of them should face up with the Akatsuki, or the Uchihas. That way they could call for help, and Ino could set off the Suna, and then Konoha. Ino was supplied with special speed pills, a formula Tsunade had created herself. It was made to increase a shinobi's normal speed be three times. That way, Ino would hopefully get to Konoha within hours.

Neji had a bad feeling in his stomach. A very bad feeling. He knew something would happen. What he was really worried about, however, was Sakura. Though he knew she could hold more than her own, he couldn't help but fear for her.

That was when he knew he'd protect her at all costs, if he could help it. If it happened his side was attacked first, he would hold them off and call for help. They all would come and help out, and then Sakura would be in his range. He'd make sure she couldn't get a scratch on her.

~;;NxS;;~

Two days passed by.

Nothing happened, at all. Not even bandits came. The small breeze stirred a few strands of Neji's long hair, the sand creating a small whirlwind in front of where he sat. It was as hot as ever. The sun shone mercilessly down on them, and a small sweat broke out on Neji's forehead. He was certainly glad he didn't have to fight, not in this heat. He felt like he was being cooked alive.

That's when he saw it. He sat up straight, suddenly alert. "Byakugan!" he hissed, and veins poked out on his temples as his bloodline activated. He then saw a small horizontal line, about ten people in the first row. There were around seven rows in all. The chakra measure in those on the back row were twice as great as those in the rest. _'Trolls,' _Neji thought angrily. He grit his teeth, before activating his radio and hissing into the microphone, "I'm seeing something."

"Neji? What is it?" Came Shikamaru's voice immediately.

"Seven rows of people, trolls in the back row. Ten people in each row." He said quietly. "I don't know what they're coming here for, but I'm betting it's not good."

The people stopped. They were about a mile away, and Neji wouldn't have been able to see anything but the tops of the heads of the people in the first row if it weren't for the Byakugan. "What are they doing? Neji?" Ino's voice came in, and Neji remained silent, trying to assess their movements. Why were they stopping?

His eyes widened as they suddenly lurched forward, charging in his direction at an inhuman pace. They were nearly at him when he suddenly remembered to tune into the radio. "Shit, shit!" he cursed. "They're here! They're attacking!"

The frantic murmurs of everyone else came in, and Ino yelled, "I'm off!"

"No!" Shikamaru protested. "We can handle them! If it gets too hard, go to Suna and Suna only! For now, go to Neji on the west wall!"

Neji was surrounded, now. He closed his eyes, in the Juken stance, and his fluid movements made him nearly untouchable. He spun at an incredible pace, speeding up. His hair spun behind him, and he yelled out, "Rotation!" A huge sphere of dangerous blue chakra surrounded him as he turned, and twenty of them were knocked back.

That was when the rest of them showed up. They each took on ten or more at the same time, doing combat with unequaled grace and skill. Neji outshone all of them by far, remaining calm and composed the entire time he fought. One man challenged him, and he motioned for him to come, smirking. In the Juken stance, Neji moved his head, dodging the man's aimed punch. As he dodged, Neji reached out and grabbed his arm roughly, turning and flinging the warrior twenty feet. At the same time, he lifted his other elbow and thrust it up into a warrior's nose behind him. The man clutched his broken nose, falling to the ground.

Neji then ducked a turning kick aimed by another, before grabbing his leg and tripping him. Neji then thrust his foot into the stomach of the man he'd tripped, causing him to spit up blood. He then prepared another turn, closing his eyes and spinning at an inhuman rate. "Rotation!" he yelled, and twenty more were knocked back. Most got back up, but Neji had a few moments to recompose himself.

The others were defeating the numerous warriors one after another, dead bodies falling to the ground like leaves. Neji let himself glance at Sakura as he fought, and she seemed to be doing as well as he, if not better. She hadn't suffered a single scratch.

One man came at her from behind as she fought another in front of her. She didn't look like she was aware of his presence, and as Neji was about to yell at the last second, she grabbed the man, crashing him into the man behind her. She then grabbed them both, and with her inhuman strength, she flung them both into the air. She leaped up gracefully, before turning and kicked them both in opposite directions. She landed on one knee, ducking an aimed punch at the same time. She then blocked another with her arm.

Neji then couldn't look any longer. His own fight was becoming too challenging. He had a troll to face now. He rolled out of the way as it stomped its foot, and ignited chakra to his palm, thrusting it at its leg. It yowled in pain and anger, and smacked its club on the ground, trying to him. Buried so deep into the sand was its club that it was struggling to get it out, and Neji took the chance to hop onto the club, running up it, and the trolls arm, onto its shoulder. Its free hand reached up to try and grab him, but Neji leaped nimbly out the fingers' reach. Then, he got into stance. He figured it'd only take sixty-four palms to take the beast down, so he yelled, "Hyuga-style technique! Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"

When he said that, the others glanced at him, and their eyes widened when they saw him atop the troll. The first thoughts that crossed their minds was _'Reckless,' _but when they saw he was handling himself perfectly, they watched in admiration. Even a set of jade eyes looked on in wonder.

Chakra ignited on his fingers, and he began the sequence. "Two palms!" At first, he struck its head twice. Those two blows were enough to stun it slightly, and it only feebly grabbed at him, wailing in pain. He leaped over the fingers, onto the other shoulder, and struck the temple four times. "Four palms!" he said loudly.

Onto the other shoulder he went, again. "Eight palms!" he struck the troll eight times with rapid speed. His movements became faster and faster, until he was only a blur. "Sixteen palms!" he yelled, fingers a great blur of chakra and power.

"Thirty-two palms!!" he yelled out, leaping on top of its head. He reached down, striking the top of its head rapidly.

"Sixty-four palms!!" he yelled as he leaped off the top of its head, to in front of its face. As he fell, his fingers struck its forehead sixty-four times in a great blur. As Neji landed gracefully, hair swishing, the troll gave a last groan, falling back.

It was dead. Neji huffed, glaring at it. The other trolls, with no humans to force them into submission, ran off. The others looked at him incredulously. He turned back to them, panting slightly.

"What?" he huffed, furrowing his brows.

"Show-off." Shikamaru chuckled, shaking his head. He'd broken out in a sweat, and was panting slightly himself. Everyone was.

"Aren't I always." Neji smirked, folding his arms over his chest. He then noticed something, like a scroll halfway out of the pockets of one of the men. He looked like the leader of the group, and Neji walked over to his carcass, tugging the scroll out of his pocket. Standing, Neji's brows furrowed as he opened it. The Byakugan had receded, and his sharp eyes scanned the paper.

His eyes widened in slight horror. "What is it?" Shikamaru asked, concerned, as he took the scroll from Neji's hands.

"What is it?" Ino asked as Shikamaru scanned the scroll. The look on his face turned anxious as he slowly looked up from the scroll.

"This group was sent by.. Sasuke and Madara Uchiha," he gulped slightly. "To bring Suna this letter. It was to be sent to Konoha, as well."

"What does it say??" Ino asked anxiously, eyes wide in horror.

Shikamaru closed his eyes, biting his lip for a moment. ".. They're starting a war."

(A/N: So? Likey the longer chapter? Almost 4,000 words. xD Anyways, dun dun dunnnn!! A war?! Whatever will happen?)


	7. Dream

**Fuseiseki.**

_".. They're starting a war."_

The words repeated themselves ominously throughout Neji's head, as he stood behind Shikamaru in the Kazekage's office. The only face in the group that didn't have a completely horrified expression on it was Sakura's.

Everyone was horrified, and they had good reason to be. Starting a war? Their defeat was almost sure-fire, with opponents like Madara and Sasuke. The two shinobi were highly intelligent, and if they were planning a war, they would most likely gather an army.

A strong one.

A _large _one.

Neji didn't know how Suna and Konoha, even together, were going to have enough shinobi to even _try _to match up to the number of warriors he estimated the Uchihas were going to have. He thought of all the people that would die, the shinobi and the innocent both. He shivered involuntarily, imagining the bodies piling high on the ground, creating human walls of flesh and blood. His mind automatically switched to Sakura.

He couldn't let her get hurt. His heart clenched just thinking about it. He forced his eyes closed, shaking his head to clear his mind.

It was only then that he noticed that Shikamaru had finished talking, and was leaving the office. He quickly followed after, striding alongside the lazy man as they headed down the stairs. "I'm sorry, what did you talk about back there?" Neji asked slightly sheepishly.

Shikamaru sighed a bit. "You know I don't like repeating things, Neji."

"Oh well. I'm sorry, I had other things on my mind." Neji frowned slightly.

"We all do, Neji. Ino was crying, out there."

"I didn't see her." Neji's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"She didn't want anyone to know." Shikamaru looked down. "Sakura was the only one who didn't respond."

"Sakura doesn't respond to anything." Neji replied agitatedly.

"You've come the closest, Naruto says," Shikamaru looked at him dully. "I think you might have some effect on her. What it is, I know not. I guess we're all bound to find out, sooner or later."

"Hopefully sooner." was the last comment shared between the two as they rejoined the rest of them. Ino was composed, thankfully, though everyone was still in a bit of aftershock. Shikamaru faced them all.

"Gaara's getting some shinobi down to the wall where the fight happened to discard the bodies." he said quietly. "He told us to come inside the city, and rest for tonight. He's provided us with 3 rooms in the Kazekage's mansion."

"We don't have to share, do we?" Ino whined slightly.

"Yes, but you all just choose who you want to room with," Shikamaru said, before looking at them all. "Lee, I'll room with you."

"Yosh! Hai, Shikamaru-kun!" Lee saluted him.

"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a bunch," the man grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'll take a room with--" Ino began, but Shikamaru cut off.

"Sakura." he said tersely, narrowing his eyes on her.

She smiled sheepishly, turning pink. "Sakura," she said. Sakura remained expressionless.

"Looks like you've got a room to yourself, Neji," Shikamaru shrugged.

"Suits me fine." the Hyuga replied stoically, before hauling his bag over his shoulder and turning his back, heading back to Suna.

~;;NxS;;~

Neji was very weary, he soon found. The exhilaration from the battle, and from the disturbing letter had held his attention so that he didn't notice his sore muscles and his stinging eyes. His hair was matted and dirty, his clothes were stained in a few places.

Shower now, bed later, or bed now, shower in the morning..? Neji couldn't decide until he finally stripped of his clothing and hopped in the shower.

As he cleaned himself, the hot water relaxing his taught, sinewy muscle. They rippled over his back, shoulders and abdomen. He closed his eyes, and what he thought of next had caused his heart to skip a beat, body temperature rising.

He quickly reached for the shower handle, turning the temperature to cold. He let the icy water pelt down on him, and quickly the aching in his groin subsided. He took the opportunity to shove the pink-haired goddess out of his head.

He shut the water off and climbed out, still looking around the large bathroom with wonder. The Hyuga compound back in Konoha was well-off, but nothing compared to this place. His room was as big as his own apartment, and the bathroom was simply luxurious. After drying off, he opened the bathroom door, and steam leaked out into the large, well-decorated room. He took his time making his way to his bag, looking around the room once more.

The walls were striped, crimson and silver streaking down the high walls. The maroon color reminded Neji of the Kazekage's blood-red hair. The bed's sheets and blankets were pitch-black, and the pillows were black, with a silver trim. The canopy above it had a crimson curtain hanging over it.

Neji wondered what guests could possibly be important enough to stay in such an over-accomodating room. Council members? He supposed that was it, but there was still no need for such a luxurious setting, although it was nice. He didn't bother himself with the train of thought anymore and after getting some boxers on, plopped back on the bed. It was soft and comfortable, and he barely had time to slip under the sheets before he was fast asleep, deep in the world of unconsciousness.

~;;NxS;;~

Bodies were falling. Falling to the ground, all around him. Dropping like stones. He was surrounded by evil, and he could only stand there, immobile, as enemy nin killed every fellow shinobi around him. He looked around, wide-eyed, frightened and frustrated that he couldn't move. Why the hell couldn't he move? He tried to pull his leg up, but it was as if it weren't even there. He couldn't move, except for his head.

He wondered then why the enemy shinobi weren't coming at him. He supposed that maybe he was an invisible watcher, not actually a part of the scene. Without another thought, he frantically began searching through the scattered individual battles, searching for that familiar pink hair. He desperately hoped she wasn't hurt, nor in danger, for he couldn't do anything to help her if she was. The person he spotted first wasn't her.

It was himself, fighting as gracefully as a cat. His movements and attacks were smooth and liquid-like; they all flowed together into one never-ending assault. He felt bad for his opponents, really: it was like they never knew what hit them as they dropped one after another.

But still, on they came. They wer relentless, and he could see himself breaking out into a sweat as he beat down one after the other. They were never-ending, countless; they surrounded him. His eyes shifted over slightly, and he found the pink hair he was looking for. She had cuts all over her, and was struggling as she tried to fight her way through the crowd surrounding her.

He saw himself look over at her, and both forms of himself yelped in panic, seeing her damaged state. His self in the scene used the rotation to give him some time, and just as a sword was about to plunge into the woman's gut, he swooped her up and out of the way. He placed her in a slightly clear area, and murmured something. Neji couldn't hear what he was saying, but the next thing he knew, his stomach clenched as he saw himself lurch forward.

His self in the scene lurched forward, and kissed Sakura, arms wrapped tightly around her. The kiss wasn't angry, or hostile. It was passionate, heated. A kiss between lovers. Neji's stomach clenched, and he felt his cheeks grow hot. _'If only she'd let me kiss her like that in real life,' _he thought dismally. What made him even more desperate as he watched longingly on the scene was that she seemed to be returning the kiss with as much passion, if not more than he himself were putting in.

He ached for her, truly.

His self in the scene let her go and they turned back to back, beginning to fight off enemy nin with a renewed strength. Was the kiss so powerful it gave them more will to fight? As he watched, he licked his lips with longing, and wished desperately that he could move, to be closer to her. He tried to lift a hand to reach out to her, but he couldn't move. He could only settle for watching her, soaking in her beautiful face as she fought with grace and power.

His eyes widened in horror at what he saw next. She hadn't seen it coming; in fact, neither of the three of them had. A sword was now poking out of the back of her shirt, and blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. It trickled down her chin. Her face still remained expressionless, though he knew she was in great pain.

Suddenly, the emotion that flickered across her face was one he'd never seen before. Her lips slowly curved upward into a small smile.

His eyes flickered to his own face, and saw that the expression matched his. A look of horror had crossed his face. He heard himself choke out, "S-Sakura..!!"

The pink-headed woman fell to her knees, blood dripping onto the ground. The nin had released his sword and trailed off to fight another nin from Suna. Neji, after knocking back five warriors, knelt by herself, gazing down at her.

To Neji's great surprise, he saw tears fill his own eyes.

Neji'd never, ever cried before. Not since he was a child. The only time he'd ever cried in his life was when his father was murdered.

The tears were dripping constantly onto Sakura's shirt, and to Neji's surprise yet again, she lifted a small, gloved hand to touch his cheek. Were they mates or something? He wondered, since they'd acted like lovers. However, the small touch of her hand seemed to stupefy his self in the scene as well, so his suspicions were dulled.

However, seeing the pathetic scene before him, his heart began to throb, and he himself was choking back tears. He couldn't bear seeing her die, right before his eyes.

She gave a gasp, fighting for breath as her heart began failing.

"NO!" both Neji's yelled, trying to give CPR.

The panic was rising in his chest as her eyes closed, chest barely moving. He fought bile back down his throat, tears streaming down his face.

"SAKURAA!" he screamed.

~;;NxS;;~

He jerked up, shaking and in a cold sweat.

He'd been dreaming.

He knew he was, before, for he was merely a ghost in the scene, but it seemed so real, he got caught up in what he was seeing. Remembering the sword plunged through her gut, the serene, calm smile on her face, his gut clenched, heart aching. He clutched his chest, breathing heavily as he fought to calm himself.

"It was just a dream," he murmured, turning the comforter aside and rising from the bed. He padded into the bathroom, turning on the faucet, and cupping his hands. Water pooled in them, and he splashed the cold, clear liquid onto his face, rubbing it with his hands.

Turning the faucet back off, he fumbled around for a towel, before grabbing it and drying his face off. Feeling slightly calmer, he returned to bed.

~;;NxS;;~

The next day proved worse than he'd imagined. Just seeing Sakura standing there in perfect condition, a blank look on her face made his gut twist in uncomfortable ways. He couldn't bear to look at her, not after the dream. First, seeing himself kiss her gave him an almost unbearable urge to do the same thing in the conscious world. And seeing her die a painful death, right before his eyes was torture. He looked at her and the images came swarming into his head, making him dizzy and weak.

"Are you alright, Neji?" Shikamaru looked at him, as the group was about to leave. Neji realized that he probably looked the same way he felt; like the wind was knocked out of him. He straightened and nodded, instantly composing himself. "Hai." he replied.

"Good, let's go then." Shikamaru cast him a curious look before he took to the trees, the others following. Neji was the last to go, and was slightly annoyed when Lee fell behind to leap alongside him.

"Neji," he said, tone of voice rather serious. Neji looked at him curiously, and Lee took it as a sign to go on. "You've been acting odd lately. I want to know why."

Neji looked away from the bowl-headed man, gazing intently at the branches below him. "I don't know," he finally whispered, and when he looked up, Lee was giving him a look that said, 'Bull.'

He frowned agitatedly, before mumbling, "Woman."

"Who?"

Neji cursed inwardly that Lee was able to catch what he said. Wordlessly, he pointed a graceful finger at Sakura, but the finger retreated the instant he stuck it out. Lee caught it, however, and whispered, "Sakura-chan?"

Neji nodded sullenly, glancing at her. His stomach heaved, and he fought bile back down his throat. He also fought back bitter tears threatening to pool in his eyes, and closed them, activating the Byakugan to see where he was going.

After a minute, he felt slightly better, and looked up. "Neji, why is the Byakugan activated?" Lee whispered. "Do you see something?"

"I thought I did," Neji replied quietly, shaking his head. The bloodline limit receded. "But nevermind, it was just an animal."

Lee looked at him suspiciously, but remained silent. Neji was grateful that he didn't push and ask questions; he really wasn't in the mood for travel, much less interrogation. He felt slightly sick. He wished he could stop and rest, but he knew Shikamaru wouldn't allow it. They were to get to Konoha ASAP; Naruto was to be notified of the army and shown the letter they'd received. They figured it wouldn't take as long for they themselves to get the letter to Naruto than it would for Suna to take the letter and code it, then seal it, tie it one of their carrier birds, fly it to Konoha, have Konoha decode it, feed the animal, and get the letter to Naruto.

Neji sorely hoped that he'd start feeling better as the trip went on. He thought that as long as he didn't look at her, he'd feel fine.

That wasn't going to be easy.


	8. Beginnings

**Fuseiseki.**

"WHAT?!" Naruto stood, slamming his hands down on his desk. The ninja before him jumped slightly. His face was red, his teeth clenched, hairs on his arms standing on end. He was trembling slightly. Ino stepped forward, frowning.

"We're sorry, Hokage-sama.." she murmured, looking down. "We're just as shocked as you are.."

Naruto seemed to calm down, and closed his eyes, biting his lip. "I can't believe this.."

"None of us can, Naruto-kun." Lee said softly, sadly. Neji had his eyes closed, face contorted into an expression of pain, but for a completely different reason. His reason had pink hair, and green eyes. His reason was delicate and beautiful and perfect. And unlike Naruto's reason, his reason was angelic and brought him feelings he'd never experienced before.

"..What do we do?" Ino asked softly.

Naruto looked up, face expression filled with determination. "We're going to fight, of course. And I'm going to beat Sasuke down personally, myself."

Neji's mood was slightly lifted. He loved it when Naruto was like this. When the blonde set his mind to something, he could do it. Neji knew that as well as anyone. The only thing he had ever set his mind to that he _hadn't _accomplished was something that only one person had _ever _accomplished, without even trying.. Gaining Sakura's love. Neji wondered often how the Uchiha did it. He didn't even care; the raven-headed prodigy just threw it away like trash.

He glanced over at Sakura. As usual, she was perfect and flawless, her beautiful face carefully composed into her blank mask. He closed his eyes, wanting to leave. He was glad when Naruto dismissed them.

Neji spotted Sakura walking alone towards her apartment, and ran to catch up with her. Being near her sent chills up his spine. He resisted the urge to shudder. "Sakura," he whispered, not being able to look at her. She stopped abruptly, and her hateful green gaze turned on him.

"Come to try something else? Too bad I left my mace at home." she spat, glaring at him. He winced.

"Sakura.." he fought back the tears threatening to come to his eyes. "I'm sorry.. I never meant to do anything.. I-I just.."

".. Just what? Thought you'd try to rape someone?" she growled, eyes shining with complete rage.

He winced again. "N-No.. You're just completely.. emotionless, dead inside.. It made me so angry that nothing I could do could break your shell.. And so, that day, in the alleyway.." he looked down. "I just did the first thing that came to me.. To try and get you to show some kind of emotion.. I know that I was out of control, and I wanted to apologize.."

The look on Sakura's face was one Neji had wanted to see for a long time. Ever since he "met" her, in fact. Her eyes softened, mouth hanging. She looked shocked, in a good way. ".. You've been feeling that bad about it?" she asked. Well, more like whispered.

"Of course.." Neji replied softly, biting his lip and looking down, avoiding her gaze. He was surprised he could resist looking at her. "It's consumed my mind ever since I did it.. I never meant to go so far."

"I.." For once, Sakura didn't know what to say. Her mouth hung slightly ajar, as she stared at him. "I.. Thank you, Neji-san."

"Please, just Neji.." he murmured, gazing down at her sincerely, eyes squinting. "I really would like to start over.."

To his surprise, she laughed a bit. Her expression shocked him. A grin split her face. "I don't think you'd want to start over, Neji-san." she said lightly.

Neji was smiling down at her as well, and they stared at one another, grins fading slowly. Without thinking, Neji's hands slowly went to her waist, grabbing it gently to pull her closer. When she didn't protest, only staring up at him, he pulled her to him, gazing intensely down at her.

He stiffened slightly when her hands came to rest on his chest. They weren't pushing, nor applying pressure in any way. They were just resting there. Taking that as a submissive sign, he whispered, "I want to try something." He slowly began leaning down, and when she flinched, he whispered, "Don't move.."

He felt her hot breath falling shakily upon his lips. Her green eyes were hazy, half-lidded. His eyelids drifted together, face inching closer to hers, almost hesitantly. Her hands gripped his white shirt, and he continued to lean in, closing the distance between their faces. Their lips were inches apart. He could hear her erratic breathing now.

He felt triumphant that he could make her melt. He was overly satisfied, more than he'd been since he'd first gotten her as his partner. Just as he was about to go in for the kill, the fiery, romantic kiss that was sure-fire to make her mush in his arms, a voice shouted, "Oi! Neji!"

Neji looked up, immediately jerking away from the pink-headed goddess. She stumbled slightly, but quickly composed herself. He was very, very agitated when he saw Lee, waving. "Hey, Hinata-chan wanted to know if you could help her with a few things!"

Neji sighed, clenching his fists. He wanted to pound Lee into a pulp, but Sakura answered before he could throw an insult at the bowl-headed man. "Sure, Lee. Could I come as well?"

Though her face was still carefully blank, her voice was relatively pleasant. It made Neji's stomach jump. "Sure, Sakura-chan!" Lee smiled brightly, and Sakura and Neji looked at eachother for a moment.

"This talk isn't over," she whispered, before walking in Lee's direction. Neji gulped, following.

Lee kept the chat going, and also kept the situation from getting awkward with corny jokes and random exclamations about how great Gai-sensei was or how TenTen's training was going along. Neji just walked along in silence; going to Kurenai's to help Hinata was the last thing he wanted to be doing.

He cursed Lee into oblivion, in his head. He was just about to get the kiss he always wanted.. And the idiot had to interrupt. Neji was going to murder him when they were done at Kurenai's place. He wondered what Hinata needed help so badly with. _'It'd better be pretty damn important,' _he growled inwardly. _'To make me miss what I've been waiting for..'_

Once they got to Kurenai's Lee knocked on the door, and Kurenai opened the door. "Oh," she smiled, opening the door wider and stepping aside. "Hey guys, come on in."

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei!" Lee grinned, stepping in. Kurenai looked surprised to see Sakura walk through the door, and said pleasantly, "Why hello there, Sakura-san."

"Konnichiwa, Kurenai-sensei," she commented softly, looking around. There were plants everywhere. Alot of them were wilting, but the place smelled pleasant, like a floral fragrance. Hinata was watering plants right across from Sakura, and the pink-headed shinobi found herself glaring slightly at the Hyuga. How lucky she was, to see Neji, to know him so closely.. Like Sakura never could.

Sakura closed her eyes, forcing her expression into her calm, blank mask once again, before coughing. "Hinata-chan," Lee said, raising a hand slightly. "I've gotten Neji as you asked. And Sakura wanted to come, if that's alright."

Hinata squeaked, jumping and spilling water on her coat. She blushed embarassedly, looking at them pathetically. "S-Sure," she murmured, grabbing a napkin and wiping herself off. Lee chuckled.

"What did you need help with, Hinata?" Neji asked, politely.

"O-Oh, Neji-niisan.." Hinata smiled a bit, tossing the napkin away. "U-Uhm, I was wondering if you could help me with some Juken techniques.. A-And I also have some boxes I need to take to the warehouse, d-downtown.."

"Alright, warehouse first, then techniques." Neji said, before glancing at Sakura. "Where are the boxes?"

"U-Upstairs.." Hinata stuttered, before moving for the stairs, going up them. Lee followed, then Sakura, then Neji. Neji shamelessly stared at the pink-haired kunoichi's backside, mentally complimenting it. He then shook his head, and as he stepped onto the carpet of the second floor, he looked around. The hallway was small, the walls a bit narrow. Neji could easily spread his arms and both elbows would touch the walls. _'How does she get through?' _Neji thought incredulously as he looked around. _'It's cramped for me..'_

Neji then realized that sounded insulting. He mentally apologized, wanting to smack his forehead. They headed into Hinata's room, and Hinata began handing them all cardboard boxes full of things. Each shinobi took two, with the exception of Hinata, who took one. There were seven boxes in all. Neji was the first down the stairs, grumbling as he trudged down, boxes balancing on his hand. Sakura followed right behind, followed by Lee and Hinata. Kurenai opened the door for them, and they walked out into the sunny streets of Konoha.

The sun was beginning to set, and Neji looked into the horizon, eyes squinting in the light. He then shook his head slightly, and turned back to the rest. "Where to, Hinata?" he asked boredly.

"U-Uhm, I-I'll show.. you," she murmured embarrassedly, turning red, and turned to the left, walking along that way. Neji, Lee, and Sakura followed, Neji and Sakura walking alongside eachother. Neji glanced at her, and she was looking blankly ahead, her face stony and composed. Perfect porcelain.

"Neji-san," he heard her perfect voice ring in his ears, softly. He looked at her curiously, slightly dazed by the soft and meek tone.

She was looking at him, her gaze intense. "I want to know why you're going so far, for me.."

Neji blinked, before answering truthfully in a low voice, "You're worth it."

She looked back ahead in the direction they were going, face composed again. If there was any surprise or emotion at all in her reaction, she didn't show it. She was silent for another moment, and using Lee's babbling to Hinata as a cover for their voices, she murmured, "No one else seems to think that, and neither did you before.. Why now?"

"I.. I don't know.. It's.." he bit his lip, furrowing his brow. He looked at the ground as they walked. "It's.. Hard to explain."

"Do the best you can."

Neji sighed a bit. It was hard to find the right words to explain how he felt. "I.. Well, you looked.. so familiar, but you acted so strangely that I didn't know who you were. I wanted to find out so badly, but I wanted to _figure _it out, not ask you." he chuckled slightly. "Guess it's a male pride kind of thing."

She remained silent, and he took that as a sign to go on.

"I started out with the intention to find out who you were, nothing more. You seemed cold and emotionless; I didn't really want anything to do with you, no matter how beautiful you are. But.. as time went on.. I found you oddly intriguing. You were like.. a drug. Your smell, the way you looked, the way you sounded.. I couldn't get enough. I was beginning to like the mission we were assigned."

She continued to stare forward, before glancing at him. "I had always been intrigued by you."

Neji's eyebrows rose. "There's nothing interesting about me."

"Oh, on the contrary." Sakura's voice remained low. "The little things you do.. why you do them.. I'm still trying to figure out what makes you tick. Other than my inept ability to show emotion."

"I could say the same," Neji said, supressing a chuckle.

They reached the storehouse then, and setting her box down, Hinata pulled out a key and un-bolted the door. She then slid her box in, waiting for the others to set their boxes down. After all the boxes were stacked neatly in, Hinata re-locked the door, mumbling, "Th-Thank you.. e-everyone.."

"It was no problem, Hinata-chan!" Lee said, grinning. "Hey, why don't we all get some ramen?"

Neji grunted, displeased. "I actually have some things to take care of, I have to sit this one out."

"Sakura-chan?" Lee looked at her. She looked blankly at him.

"I'm sorry, I also have things to do.. I'm not hungry anyways. Thanks though." she then turned to walk away, Neji walking beside her.

"You know," Lee mumbled lowly to Hinata, "I think they're going off somewhere together, rather than doing their own things.."


	9. Breakdown

**Fuseiseki.**

Neji opened the door to his little flat, stepping into the clean-looking kitchen. He'd moved out of the Hyuga compound long before, unable to take anymore of the people residing in it. Sakura followed him in, wordless and expressionless as usual. She looked around at the tidy place, jade eyes flashing. "Neat, for a man," she commented.

Neji grunted. "I like it clean."

Sakura stood there, not moving. He turned back to her, looking at her curiously. ".. Make yourself at home." he said, as if it were obvious. She shuffled towards him slightly. "Would you like something?" he asked, motioning towards the refrigerator.

"No thank you." she replied platonically, looking at him blankly. He sat down on the black leather couch in his small den, and she joined him wordlessly. They two stared at one another for a moment, eyes locking. Neji saw something flash in her jade orbs, what it was he didn't know. He didn't know whether to like it or not.

"Why do you want to see emotion in me?" Sakura whispered, and her soft voice triggered something deep within the Hyuga. His arm hung on the back of the couch, hand gripping the leather tightly. He waited a moment before he answered, his light silver eyes locked on her angelic face. Finally, he leaned forward a bit.

"Because.." he murmured, voice deep and husky with emotion. "You're so fucking beautiful when you break down.."

He began to lean forward slowly, his pale eyes half-lidded. Her breath quickened, falling on his face. His face neared hers, and her eyes drooped. He was spurred on, but he paced himself, and stopped when their lips were within centimeters of eachother. She shivered slightly, when the hand that was in his lap went to her arm, to brush his fingers against her skin.

His lips brushed against hers softly, and in that instant, everything happened at once. Electricity shocked their bodies, heat flaming and soaring through their veins. His lips suddenly crushed hers, and he moved her back to lay on the couch, him on his hands and knees over her. Her hands tangled in his long coffee-hair. He grunted, her lips not being enough.

His lips moved to devour her neck, kissing, sucking, biting it. She groaned softly, her eyes closing, pink brows furrowed. Her hands rested on the back of his head, fingers gripping his hair. He trailed kisses back up to her lips, before pushing his lips back against hers in a fiery, heated kiss.

He'd never felt so victorious. She was enjoying it, she was kissing him back. Her small sighs of pleasure gave her away. He slid his tongue into her mouth smoothly, slowly, and began to wander. It roamed her mouth, finding her tongue to be shy and hesitant. His tongue flickered across hers confidently, before he slowly pulled away from her lips, panting slightly. He opened his eyes to gaze down at her.

Her lips were slightly ajar, her hot breath falling on his face. Her own eyes were hazy and half-lidded, her hands still gripping his hair. "You make me feel things.. I've never felt before.." he whispered, staring down at her intently.

"I could say the same," she whispered after a moment, her jade eyes clearing. The mist was replaced with wonderment, a look that gave him chills up his spine.

He slowly got off of her, sitting straight. She slowly sat up, rubbing her head.

"I'm sorry." he said suddenly, heaving a sigh. "I shouldn't have done that.

She shook her head, smiling bitterly to herself. "No, I'm glad you did."

He looked at her strangely, before running a hand through his long hair."Why..?"

"You.." she bit her lip, looking down for a moment. "You've unlocked something inside of me that no one else has. I'd become a shell of the girl I used to be, living my life as if it weren't even mine, like I was looking down at myself from above. I didn't feel, nothing. And when you came along.. slowly, piece by piece.. you began breaking me down."

She looked away for a moment, out the window on the wall to her right. ".. Do you remember that first kiss you gave me? At that first inn..?"

He nodded, smiling bitterly. "Hai.. I was so frustrated."

"That was the first step.." she mumbled. "As soon as you touched me, this.. electricity ran through my whole body, shocking me. After realizing what you'd done, I quickly put a mask up, pretending it didn't affect me.."

"That frustrated me even more, so I left." he recalled.

"Yes, well.. After that, my legs had become jelly.. I couldn't even stand."

He used his hand to cover the smug smirk crossing his lips. "So, you.."

He trailed off, before suddenly standing. "Wanna play monopoly?"

She blinked, taken aback. "..What?"

"You heard me." he gave her a sly smile. "Unless you're scared you're going to lose.."

"Oh, that's it! You're on!" she growled, getting up. He went to get the Monopoly game box, and set it on the kitchen table, Sakura already sitting there.

He began setting up the game, glancing at her. "Which piece do you want to be?"

"The car," she said immediately, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Why the car?"

"I dunno. It's fast and cool-looking. I think you should be the shoe."

He looked at her as if she'd grown another head. "The.. _shoe?"_

"Hai. It's smelly and ugly." she smirked smugly at him.

"Oh, that's it!" he roared, and began chasing after her. She giggled some and hopped back. "Come here!" he grabbed at her, but she leaped nimbly out of the way. He chased her down the hallway, before she locked herself in the bathroom.

"I have aaaaaaall day, Sakura." he said flatly, leaning himself on the wall outside the bathroom door. He folded his arms over his chest, and waited.

After a minute or so, he felt an odd tap on his shoulder. His first thought was, _'It can't be raining, can it? I don't think I have a leaky roof..' _but when he turned around to see Sakura standing there with her hands on her hips, smirking at him, he smirked himself.

"Window?"

"Yep."

He grabbed her with immense speed, and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatos. She growled in protest, and began banging her fists half-heartedly on his back, muttering protests.

"You're not trying very hard." Neji chuckled some, squeezing her thigh.

This made her roar, and she began hitting him harder. "There we go," he breathed, chuckling more. He got back to the table where their game was half set-up, and he set her down in her chair. She glared at him, red-faced. "Oh, come now." he grinned slyly at her, before leaning over the table to beginning gently and nimbly setting pieces up on the board.

"Want to be the banker?" he asked, glancing at her. She wasn't looking at his face. He turned slightly pink as he realized she was staring at his body. He repeated his question quietly.

"Huh?" she blinked, shaking her head and looking at him.

"I asked if you wanted to be the banker." he said, looking at her suspiciously.

"Sure, sure.." she mumbled, returning her gaze to the table. He nodded, and handed her all of the money, keeping the cards for himself to hold.

"Alright, let's do this." Neji grabbed the horse piece for himself, and set it on 'Go'. She set her piece on the 'Go' spot as well, and they rolled to see who would go first. Neji rolled a one, to his dismay, and Sakura rolled a six.

"I swear," he muttered, before watching her roll. She got a six again, and made her move. Of course she bought the square she landed on, and Neji had to give her the ownership. He handed her the card begrudgingly, mumbling things all the while.

xXx

Neji hated losing. Which was why he cast her a resentful glare every time she bought another square and taxed him for landing on it.

"That's it!" he abruptly stood, chair squeaking as it slid back. She blinked and looked at him, little red building in her hand. "You're in trouble." he growled, and advanced on her. She jerked out of the chair and began backing up.

"Eh heh, now now Neji, don't be a sore loser!" she sweat-dropped and backed up to the wall, squeaking when she hit it.

He then grabbed her up and held her wrists. He smirked at her. "Hold still.."

"No way!" she grinned, and yanked one wrist away. She then threw her arm around his neck and slung herself onto his back, legs wrapping around his waist. "Giddyup!"

Neji grinned widely, and began wrestling with her, trying to get her off of his back. He tried tickling; That didn't work. He tried throwing her off; didn't work either. The two were still wrangling and wrestling when someone knocked on the door.

The both paused. Then, Sakura hopped off of Neji's back and they both went to the door. Neji opened it, the both of them looking out curiously. Shikamaru stood there, cigarette in hand. "Yoh," he said quietly, and a thin eyebrow raised incredulously when he spotted Sakura's pink hair behind Neji. "What's goin' on?"

"We were just.. playing monopoly," Neji said, scratching the back of his neck. Shikamaru gave them an odd look.

"Anyways," he began. "Naruto wanted you down at the Hokage's office.. something about figuring out how long we have to prepare for the.." He paused. ".. War."

"Ah." Neji nodded some, before looking back at Sakura. "Come with?"

Sakura's face was blank. "Sure."

He nodded, and opened the door further, letting her walk out before him. He locked his door and pulled it shut, and the three set off. Neji was in the middle, Sakura to his left, Shikamaru to his right. The three leaped across roof-tops, easily landing and pushing up from the ground, sailing through the air. They were on the roof of the Hokage building in no time, and Shikamaru hopped in the open window, followed by Neji and Sakura.

Hair swishing slightly, Neji turned to face Naruto's desk. He saw the bags under the blonde's eyes, and felt pity. He was sure the man hadn't slept for days. With all the work he had to do, and the news of the up-coming doom earlier that afternoon, Neji was sure the blonde wasn't going to get any sleep in the next few days, either.

"Naruto, why don't you take a rest? If you'd like, we can do this ourselves." Neji suggested, but Naruto declined with a shake of his head.

"Thanks for the thought, Neji, but I really can't, even if I tried," He sighed wearily, stamping another document. "I can't stop worrying about this notification.. I just.. They didn't mention _when _they were going to attack.. The letter just says.. 'soon'."

"We know, Naruto," Neji frowned some.

"That's why you're going to visit our little captive again," Naruto said, looking at the Hyuga. "I want you to pry any information you can get from him concerning the Uchihas. He may not know anything, but I want you to pull everything you can from him."

Neji nodded, eyes closed. "Got it."

"Sakura-chan, Shikamaru, you two are free to go." Naruto nodded them off.

Neji hopped out the window of the Hokage's office, and leaped down onto a lower rooftop. His pale eyes scanned the ground, searching for that certain alleyway which held the dungeons. He spotted it after a moment, and dashed in that direction, his eyes set on the destination ahead.

(A/N: I apologize for not updating in so long! D: And such a short chapter too! Geez, I'm terrible. Anyways, I had some MAJOR writer's block, and I simply couldn't find any time either. I'm so sorry, everyone.)


	10. Plan

**Fuseiseki.**

"Well well well, come back to see me, eh? It's been a while, hehe." the sound of a familiar gruff voice greeted Neji's ears as he slowed to a walk, approaching the criminal's cage.

"Hello to you too." Neji's sarcastic reply came, and he unlocked the door to the cell.

"Let me guess, here for more romance tips? If she hasn't forgiven you by now, you should just go crawl i--"

"NO." Neji growled. "I'm here because the Hokage ordered me to question you on the doings of the Uchihas. You know what's going on with them?"

"Not really. I haven't seen them since the break-up of the Akatsuki." Kisame shrugged, sighing wearily. He let out a small cackle. "I'm sure they're up to something like destroying this village. That's been Madara's goal from the start."

"I know," Neji sighed, leaning back against the bars of the cell. "We've received a letter from them. They're going to start a war."

"NOOOO." Kisame mocked a gasp. The look Neji gave him made him start guffawing.

"Seriously. Could you please at least be serious?" Neji huffed, arms folded over his chest. He glared at the large blue man in the corner of the cell.

"Gomen, gomen. I just haven't had company in a while, obviously, hehe." Kisame grinned, his rows of sharp teeth glittering in the dim light of the chamber. "And you are quite the entertaining one. Seeing your panties in a knot just tickles me."

"Glad to see I'm your court jester." Neji growled, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, I came here to get information. I didn't get any of that last time."

"Oh, yes you did. Valuable information, at that."

"Yeah, from someone who is still a virgin."

"There's only one virgin in this room, kid, and that's you." Kisame began cackling again.

Neji rolled his eyes again. "Why do we even bother keeping you alive when you don't give us any information.."

"Ask your idiot Hokage next time you see him." Kisame grinned evilly.

"Yeah, well," Neji sighed, opening the door to the cell. "I'm going, since you either have no information or are not willing to share. So long, criminal."

"Tootles, pretty boy."

Neji heard Kisame's cackles all the way to the alley above ground.

"Stupid fish.."

xXx

"You come back with nothing, Neji?" Naruto sighed deeply, blonde brows furrowed with anxiety.

"He insisted he didn't know anything, Naruto." Neji said sincerely. "I also.. am a bit closer to the fish than anyone else here is. He's got nothing to gain from keeping that from us, except maybe escape. But he could probably do that on his own."

"Ne--"

"Naruto, I personally think, from analyzing him with our talks, that he _chooses _to stay here, for protection. The Uchihas are probably out to destroy the remainders of the Akatsuki, because they might turn on them or get in the way. At least, that's probably what Hoshigaki's thinking. So in that frame of mind, he chooses to stay here. That's why I truly believe he doesn't know anything."

Naruto looked at the Hyuga in shock. "Well, Neji.." he paused. ".. I've underestimated your observance and psychoanalysis, 'tebayo."

"I know more than I seem to." Neji said, nodding slightly.

"Well, good work nonetheless," Naruto sighed some. "What do you think we should do with him?"

"I don't know about that one, Naruto."

xXx

"So what was that about..?" came a voice from beside Neji, and he jumped. Realizing it was only Sakura, he sighed.

"Naruto wanted me to interrogate Hoshigaki again." he replied, shaking his head. "Nothing new. I don't even know why Naruto keeps him here."

Sakura shrugged. "Well.. I wonder.. when they're going to attack."

Neji shrugged, sighing a bit. "I really don't know.. But we should be prepared for when they do."

Sakura nodded. "I've had this plan forming in my head.. I've been thinking about what we'll have to do with the villagers. I mean, we have to protect them, and with hundreds of the Uchiha army rampaging the village, it will be impossible to keep them all safe."

Neji nodded. "What's the plan? I could propose it to Naruto."

Sakura frowned some. "Well, since we don't know when the Uchihas are attacking, I say we get this done as soon as possible so as not to waste time.. I think we should gather all of the females, the children, and the elderly, and rush them off to a shelter a ways away from the village. I think the shelter should be underground, not easily spotter in case the Uchihas are thinking ahead and being cautious about something like this."

"You've thought about this," Neji observed.

"Oh yes," Sakura replied, looking at the ground. "I may look cold, but I really do care about this village.. If I didn't, I would have given up on being a shinobi long ago."

"I admire you for that," Neji said softly, and Sakura turned her gaze on him. He let a small smile cross his face.

"Thank you." she smiled a little bit, biting her lip.

[Gah! Omg, you guys! I've had some SERIOUS, SERIOUS writer's block on this fic. And I know it's been forever since I've updated on it, and with such a short chapter no less! I feel so bad, I really do... I NEED IDEAS! T.T I promise, the next chapter will be much longer.. I'll think of some way to keep this story moving. Love you guys!]


	11. Construction

**Fuseiseki.**

After the idea had been proposed to Naruto, it had been approved immediately. He put Neji as the head of the project, and the Hyuga prodigy was to lead the construction of an underground refuge for all of the women, children, and the elderly. Neji took some of the best chuunin and jonin to work on the contruction, taking all of the supplies to a part of the forests surrounding Konoha over a mile away.

It took a week to finish digging and to put the walls up with the wood on the inside, even with the number of shinobi working on the project. Neji felt slightly guilty at how harsh he was on the men, but his awareness of how easily the Uchihas could attack drove him to work them harder. He worked so hard himself that by the end of the week, his hands were rough and calloused and his arms and legs ached with the amount of exertion he put forth to get the job done.

At the end of the week, Neji checked in with Naruto as the blonde requested, and let him know what had been done.

"Good work, Neji." Naruto smiled approvingly. His face then turned serious. "However, I want the refuge completely finished by the end of this coming week."

Neji gulped slightly nodding, determination written across his face. "Hai, Naruto."

"It's Hokage to you, bud." Naruto grinned jokingly. "'Tebayo."

Neji let a small smile cross his face.

xXx

"You've been working hard this past week," she commented as they played an interesting game of monopoly at his kitchen table.

"I want to get this thing built before the Uchihas attack," he frowned, buying a space. "And we all know they could attack at any given moment. They never gave us a certain time, which makes it all the scarier."

"I know," she murmured, frowning. Her horse landed on his bought space, and she had to pay a fine. She grunted as she handed him the money. "I would be out there helping, but Naruto won't let me.."

"Your skills as a medic are valuable; they're needed more on the battlefield." Neji glanced at her, silver eyes flashing. "You're very important on a team."

Sakura nodded slightly. "I suppose.. That's why I wanted to become a medic. Being a medic requires near perfect chakra control, and that's something I'm good at.. And a medic's a useful shinobi."

"I wish I could do what you do." Neji sat back in his chair, looking at her. "You help so many people. All I do as a fighter is kill and destroy."

xXx

Wednesday of that week, Neji stopped harassing the men to work harder. One of the shinobi had actually collapsed from exhaustion. Sakura had to come and get him, to take him to the hospital, and as she lifted the man's arm over her shoulder, the look she gave him.. He shivered. She glared at him, a glare that said she was disappointed and angry with him.

It was something he never wanted to do. This perfect, perfect woman being disappointed, _angry_ with him.. That upset him.

The rest of the week, Neji didn't say a word to any of the shinobi working on the project. The work got done, needless to say, and it made Neji feel even worse for having nagged them so much.

And finally, the underground refuge was ready. There was a camoflauged door in the trunk of a large tree, and a person, one at a time would drop down in the hole in the hollowed out trunk, and would land on a large, springy mattress. And then they would walk down a small hallway, lit by torches, until they got into a large clearing underground. There were shelves to put things on, and many blankets stacked around on the ground, and torches lined the walls, dimly lighting the area. The walls were reinforced with wood and metal, stainless steel glittering under the firelight.

Neji was rather proud of the work they'd all accomplished together, and by the end of that week, he reported to Naruto again. "Naruto, the refuge is finished. It's completely safe and durable."

"Good work, Neji." Naruto grinned. "Now, to move on..."

xXx

From that day on, many scouts were posted on every wall, north, east, south, west. They were to be on constant lookout for any sign of the Uchihas or any type of soldier or army. If something was sighted, they were to blow the high-pitched, deafening whistle attached to a string around their necks.

Neji wasn't among the scouts; he had missions that had to be done. He never got assigned to a team with Sakura, and while that was slightly disappointing, he didn't mind, because he spent time with her almost everyday, playing a game of monopoly, or chatting at Ichiraku Ramen. They'd always bring a bowl up to the Hokage's office, just for Naruto.

Life for the villagers remained calm and peaceful, for they knew nothing about the impending attack on them. Naruto had only made an announcement that in case of any emergencies, there would be a whistle blown, and they would go to the front gates of the village and assigned shinobi would take them to safety. The villagers just thought it was a new safety policy; the shinobi knew what was really going on.

During his spare time, Neji often made trips down to the dungeons to visit the Akatsuki they held captive. He didn't know why he visited the blue man, but oddly, he found his company quite entertaining. Their playful banter relaxed the Hyuga.

"Hello, Fish."

"Hello there, she-male."

Neji rolled his eyes.

"So, got any more of your juicy little romance story for me? Any advice I need to give you?" Kisame cackled.

"No." Neji's eyes narrowed. He folded his arms over his chest. "Naruto told me to check on you."

It was a lie, of course, but Kisame didn't know that. And what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, Neji said to himself.

"On me?" Kisame smirked. "I haven't had a bath in weeks, and you _still _look worse than I do!"

".. Gilligan." Neji growled.

"Pretty-boy."

"Fish face."

"Rapunzel."

"Jaws!"

"Goody two-shoes!"

"Guppy!"

"Transexual!"

"I'M GONNA SHOVE A MCDONALD'S FISH FILLET DOWN YOUR THROAT!" Neji yelled, before opening the cage, stomping out, and slamming it shut behind him.

Neji turned to stomp away.

"Ah, I must be off," Kisame said, mocking the Hyuga with a British accent. "I need to go buy some more of that nancy-boy hair gel I like _so_ much."

Neji paused, mid-step.

"What.. did you just say?" the prodigy hissed, his head turning slowly to look at the shark-man.

"Should I get you Pantene or Herbal Essences for Christmas?" Kisame began cackling.

Neji's hand darted down to his ninja pouch and he flung a kunai at the Akatsuki. Kisame's head easily dodged and the kunai embedded itself in the wall beside his head.

Kisame smirked. "My my, what a temper."

Neji huffed, walking away.


	12. Release

**Fuseiseki.**

The day after his last confrontation with Kisame, Neji was requested by Naruto to come to the Hokage's office. He was notified by way of an Anbu _appearing in his bedroom _and scaring the hell out of him.

He jumped when he heard the formal voice. "Hokage requests your presence, Hyuga Neji."

"Fine, just get the hell out of my room!" the male snapped, and the Anbu disappeared in a puff of smoke. Neji grumbled, pulling a shirt on and going out the front door. He walked along the streets, and saw a child crying, sitting on the ground. He was cradling a scraped knee against his chest.

Neji squatted in front of the boy. "What's your name?"

"A-Ayumu," he whimpered, wiping tears away from his eyes.

"Where are your parents?" Neji asked, eyes lit with concern.

"I-I don't have any.." the boy looked away, eyes downcast.

"Oh.." Neji frowned. He thought for a moment, before grabbing the boy and lifting him up into his arms gently.

"W-Where are we going?" the child asked, alarmed.

"I'm taking you to the infirmary. They'll take good care of you there." Neji said, not looking at him. The Hyuga dashed to the hospital in ten seconds flat.

"Wow! That was fast!" the boy squealed in delight. Neji smiled a bit, before kicking open the front doors (his arms were full) and marching in.

The secretary looked up boredly. "May I help you..?"

"Yes," Neji said authoritatively, almost as if daring her to argue. "I need to see Sakura Haruno, please."

"One moment, please," the woman said, before picking up the phone on her right side. She punched a few numbers in, murmuring a few things into the receiver. She then hung the phone up and said, "She'll be here in a moment."

"Thank you." Neji said, shifting the boy in his arms.

Merely a minute later, Sakura came rushing out into the lobby. She spotted Neji, and looked at him. "What is it?"

Neji motioned to the boy in his arms. "He scraped his knee, doesn't have any parents, and I have to report to Naruto within the next three minutes or I'm toast."

"Wow, you sure know how to put things bluntly.." Sakura muttered, before taking the boy from the Hyuga. "Go, I'll take care of him."

"Thanks." Neji gave her an appreciative nod, before running out the door.

xXx

Exactly three minutes later, Neji hopped in the window of the Hokage's office.

"Oi, Neji!" Naruto grinned at him, before his face got serious. "Come here."

Neji moved to stand in front of the Hokage's desk, and Naruto looked intently up at him.

"Neji, I want you to answer this logically and honestly for me."

"Alright." Neji nodded slightly, arms folded over his chest.

"What would you think about.." Naruto set his elbows in his desk, hands clasped together. ".. If we allowed Hoshigaki Kisame help us in this fight?"

Neji's face didn't flinch in the least as he replied. "I think it's an absolutely ludicrous idea, but.. he's wanted in every single one of the five nations, and he's got protection from us if he helps us.. right?"

"Yes," Naruto replied. "I'm thinking about giving him protection and putting him in Konoha prison, where it's a bit more clean and comfortable. We'll feed him, all that stuff.. but we'll make sure he doesn't get away."

"Alright.. why am I here? I'm not your advisor." Neji said flatly.

"I want you to go talk with him about it," Naruto grinned. "You're closer to him than any of us."

Neji sighed, looking away wearily before nodding. "Alright. When do I go talk to him?"

"Now. We need things done as soon as possible."

Neji nodded again, and disappeared.

xXx

Neji used the Byakugan to see as he travelled along the murky, disturbing-yet-familiar pathway leading to Kisame's cell. As he came upon the dimly lit place, he failed to notice before how thin the man really was. As soon as the Hyuga came into view, Kisame let out a loud cackle.

"Come to give me that McDonald's Fish Fillet? I could actually use one right now. I'm so hungry I'd eat my own arm, heheh."

Neji rolled his eyes. "No, I came to talk to you. A _serious _talk this time."

Kisame raised a blue eyebrow. "About?"

"About.. you getting out of this cell." Neji opened the door and stepped in to have a better talk with the shark-man.

Kisame grinned. "Ooh, what do I have to do?"

"We'll keep you in Konoha prison. You'll be fed well and the rooms are more comfortable.. we're only keeping you there so you don't escape. You'll have our full protection, as well. In turn.." Neji leaned forward. "You have to help us fight in this war."

Kisame smirked, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Well... Good food and room.. or cell and nothing.. hm.."

Neji watched him impatiently.

"Yeah, I guess I will. If I'm not getting out of here, might as well fight. I've been dredfully bored down here.." Kisame smirked. "Samehada's hungry too."

Neji smirked, arms folded over his chest. "Good. Expect some Anbu to take you out of here in the morning."

Neji turned to leave. "See ya, fish-face."

"Tootles, pretty-boy!" Kisame cackled.


	13. Love

**Fuseiseki.**

**[[WARNING:: THERE IS GRAPHIC LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ, SKIP THE LEMON PART.]]**

A month passed by. Nothing out of the ordinary happened; just the usual. Neji was beginning to wonder if the Uchihas were making an idle threat. He and many other shinobi worked endlessly every day on adding extra safety features to the village. He hadn't seen Sakura at all, and that made his mood even worse.

He woke up that morning, very grouchy. His long coffee-colored locks were tangles and messy and his pale eyes had dark circles under them. He hadn't slept well and hadn't been sleeping well the past week and a half. So he of course flung the door open when the doorbell rang and demanded, rather loudly, who the person was and what the hell they wanted.

What he got was a pair of sweet, soft lips on his and a pair of arms wound about his neck rather tightly. This caught him by surprise and he fully opened his eyes, and saw.. Sakura, kissing him with a rather surprising amount of heat. He stumbled back slightly, before his arms caught her waist and pulled her into him, closer. When she pulled from his lips, he supposed it was only for breath, because soon her lips were crushing his again, and he was stumbling back to his couch. Her hands grasped his hair, fingers curling about the long strands, and his heart skipped a beat.

He finally managed to break his lips from hers and gasped, "Sakura, what are you.."

"Shh," she panted, jade eyes hazy. "I haven't seen you for a month now.. Quiet." She backed him onto the couch, and his back pressed into the cushions, her body on top of his. She pressed her lips to his fervently, her tongue sliding out of her mouth to press against his lips.

Neji was quite apalled at the beauty's actions, and frankly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to continue. He knew that if he let things go on, he wouldn't be able to stop himself, and he knew Sakura would probably regret doing this later. She most likely wasn't in her right mind at the moment; probably the hormones or something..

But.. on another note.. Would Neji himself regret it as well?

No, he wouldn't. He was too attached to this girl.. this.. _woman. _He was hers for the taking, and he knew it, yet he couldn't stop it. His heart was gone, it was in a wrapped box, waiting for her to open it and keep it. He'd never had sex before, he was much too busy for things of the sort, but who could resist a beautiful woman who seems desperate for him like this? He had time that day, he hadn't gotten a mission for the day, and this opportunity seemed too good to resist.

**[[Skip NOW if you do not read Lemon.]]**

Fuck reason, fuck all thought. _'Take me away, Sakura,'_ was his last thought before he sunk into the bliss of her heated kisses and touches. He was swamped in the feel of her slender fingers running up his bare chest, her body warm and soft against his. The only thing separating him was his pants and her.. outfit, so he decided to get rid of the pesky apparely. However, he was going to start out slow, so that if she objected.. well, he would catch along.

His hands were wandering her back and hips, fingers trailing up and down over the fabric of her red top. Her lips moved along his softly yet fervently, eagerly getting any tongue action she could get. He wanted to tease her, but just couldn't bring himself to do it; he wanted her too badly. He couldn't afford to tease her. He could already feel himself grow a tad hotter as his fingers touched her skin, having slipped under her top. It was so soft, so smooth.. It made him shiver as his hands trailed up her back, making her mewl in delight. He liked the small appreciative sounds she made as he touched her, and liked the way her fingers grasped his hair.

She finally broke away from his lips to unzip her top, her eyes hazy. "S-Sakura, what are you.." he mumbled, eyes wide as her fit torso was revealed to him, slender and so beautiful it was inhuman.

"Shh," she whispered and grabbed a kunai from his coffee table. He had kunai all over the house, for quick access, and it proved very quick, because in two seconds, her wrappings were littering the floor and her plump breasts were in his view.

And they made him incredibly stiff. She may have been flat-chested during their genin years, but.. She had _definitely _grown up. He stared at them, his eyes hazing over with lust, before the silver orbs drifted to meet her gaze. "Neji, I want you," she murmured, and leaned down over him, her lips brushing along his. They weren't full-on kisses, but they were so passionate, so heated that they made him hot all over. His hands reached up to began fondling her breasts, squeezing and rubbing. He was embarrassed about it, and he sure as hell wasn't going to admit it, but he'd never touched a woman like this before.. it was an entirely new experience to him.

And he liked it.. Alot.

Suddenly he found her tongue diving into his mouth, beginning to tangle with his tongue as her fingers went down to his baggy black pants; his bed-wear. She let a few fingers brush over his already slightly stiff bulge and his his jerked very slightly. He was immensely aroused by her actions and his heat for her grew, the bulge becoming bigger. Her lips broke from his to trail wet kisses down his jawline before whispering heatedly in his ear, "I want you to take me," and rubbing herself against him.

He shivered and let out a low grunt, electricity shooting through his spine as her fingers ran down his chest and abdomen. "Y-You're a.."

"Virgin, yes," she whispered and nibbled on his ear, leaning to press her breasts against his bare chest. This made him stiffen more, the bulge in his loose pants beginning to become uncomfortable. Whether she noticed his discomfort or not, he was thankful to her because her fingers worked on the button and zipper, beginning to tug them off. Having not work boxers in over two years, his length sprung up after being released from it's cloth prison, and Sakura blushed a bright pink, staring at it. This made Neji feel self-conscious and he looked away. "Don't laugh.."

"W-Why would I laugh?" She whispered, blushing more. "It's.. enormous.."

Neji's lip twitched and he gasped softly when he felt her hand around his shaft. Was she _trying _to murder him? His whole body jerked slightly and he let out a low groan, his head tilting back. He could feel the lust building, his length becoming completely stiff in her hand. "Sakura, don't.. That.."

"Hm..?" she blushed, looking at him as she continued rubbing his shaft. "You seem to be liking it.."

He knew it was coming; he could feel it. And he didn't want to scare her, but she didn't seem to be stopping.

He flipped them over so he was on top of her, growling lowly and looking down at her with intense, hazy silver eyes. She squeaked when she found herself beneath him, her jade eyes shy yet obviously wanting.

"I don't think the couch is the best place for this," he murmured and pressed his lips firmly to hers, grabbing her petite figure up in his arms and holding her to him. As he stood, her legs wound tightly about his waist, her hips beginning to grind into his, making his throbbing length press against her tight black shorts. She let out a soft moan against his lips and the beautiful sound made his whole body ripple with heat and sparks. He began walking(the best he could, anyway) to his bedroom door and kicked it open, stepping in. He kicked it closed behind him and walked over to the bed, their lips not breaking contact once. She stifled another soft moan against his lips, and he laid her back into the sheets, getting onto his hands and knees over her, keeping their lips in tact.

He was completely naked over her, but he was too absorbed in their kiss that he didn't mind in the least.

She was reacting to him like never before. She was pouring her heart out through her actions. She'd changed so much since that first mission they took on together.. and he loved it.

"Sakura," he murmured against her lips, the both of them panting, their bodies hot. His hands slid down her sides slowly, caressing them, and felt her shiver under him.

He then slowed down, breaking from her lips gently. He leaned his head down and began planting soft, wet kisses up and down her neck, and she tilted her head back, shivering, her breath hitching in her throat. Neji had never felt so alive before; so.. engaged in something. He'd never cared about anything so much. He was going to make her feel as good as possible. He may not have done anything this intimate, but he had his fair share of knowledge.. and common instinct. He knew what to do, he knew the spots that would make her scream for him.

His hands undid her medic skirt and slid it away, tossing it to the floor. Her ninja pouch came next, and her black shorts after.

He was surprised to see that she didn't wear underwear, either. He couldn't hide the heated blush crossing his cheeks as he stared down at the glossy wet pink she was revealing to him. Each fold between her thighs appealed to him so much that it was hard to resist. She didn't seem too shy, slowly spreading her legs widely for him. His hands went down and began caressing her inner thighs gently, moving up and down. This made her purr in delight, and he closed his eyes, biting his lip. He wanted her, he wanted her badly, but he wanted to wait until she was ready.

He popped open one eye to look down at her, and her hips bucked up slightly, her eyes needy. "I-I want you.." she whimpered, her cheeks rosy. Her breath was quick, and he slowly reached a hand down to the apex of her thighs, eyes locked with hers. A single finger trailed up and down her slit, and she gasped softly, her hips rising. He let a small smirk cross his face. "So sensitive.." he murmured, his eyes hazing over more.

"P-Please, Neji.. Don't tease me.." she gasped softly as a finger began probing at her soaked entrance.

He was ready. He was throbbing, pulsing, and he needed her or he felt he was going to explode. His hands gripped her hips gently but firmly, and he stared down at her. She was gazing up at him with pure desire and adoration on her face, and they locked eyes.

At that moment, his heart skipped a beat. He felt how their bodies just.. fit together. He felt how his fingers tingled against her skin. And he remembered all the smiles she gave him, all the conversations they'd had.

And he realized, right then, as he was about to make love to this woman..

He was in love with her.

He knew he was, and he couldn't stop it, couldn't take it back.. He loved her, end of story. And what was odd.. he didn't seem to mind.

He moved his hips forward slowly, and the tip of his length pressed against her folds. This sent electricity rocketing through his shaft and he hissed in pleasure, his hands having a firm hold on her hips. She purred and continued to gaze at him, her hair splayed out over the sheets beneath her. She was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. His own little goddess underneath him, about to give him one of the greatest pleasures known to man.

He bucked his hips forward slightly and he rubbed against her slit, his shaft throbbing. Fuck, it felt good.. Wasn't something this good supposed to be a crime? When was someone going to burst in and ruin everything? He waited for it, he expected it, though he hoped it wouldn't happen.

He tilted his head back and listened to her soft moaning and whimpering, and felt a little button throb against his tip. He could tell it was her clitoris, and it was swollen with her desire as he glanced down at it. He reached a hand down and pressed a thumb to it, wiggling his thumb slightly. This made her gasp and squeal, her hips jerking. He could feel something leak out of her, and this made him growl, resisting the animalistic urges threatening to overtake him.

He positioned himself at her entrance, and the heat radiating off of her made his body jolt with pleasure. He bit his lip and his hand went back to her hip, his hips slowly pushing forward. He felt himself slowly pushing into her, and after a moment he heard her squeal, her body jerking. "O-Oh God, Neji, S-Stop, stop!"

He looked at her and paused in his actions, and was flabbergasted when he saw her in tears. "H-Hold on a second.. I-It hurts.." she whimpered, and he noticed her hands clamping down on the sheets, her knuckles turning white. His heart went out to her; losing her virginity must've caused her a great deal of pain.

He slowly pushed forward a tad more and she cried out, throwing her head back. He could feel something break, and he looked down at their hips. He could see blood leaking onto his bed. He wanted to stop for her, but he couldn't. He bucked his hips forward slowly, his length fully encasing itself within her. Her tight walls throbbed around him and he gasped, his eyes widening. He threw his head back, a cornecopia of pleasure shocking his body, each nerve ending feeling as if it were on fire. He'd never, ever felt anything this good before.

"N-Neji.." he heard her moan softly, and he gazed down at her. He panted slightly, his length throbbing. The pleasure was overwhelming; he'd never experienced this before.

"M-May I..?" he grunted, gazing into her eyes, and she nodded slowly, eyes wet and glazed over.

He leaned down, and pressed his lips to hers softly, before grabbing her wrists and pinning them back against the sheets gently. He gazed down at her as he pulled his hips back, before bucking them forward slowly, earning him a low moan from her pouty lips. Her legs wound tightly about his waist and he felt himself press deeper inside of her tight hole, causing him to shiver and groan softly. He pressed his lips to her neck, planting kisses along it as he began pushing into her at a slow pace, his thrusts deep and slow. Her moans were low and erotic, and he could feel her body tremble underneath hands moved from her wrists to slide down her waist, fingers caressing her sides. Her hands slid up into his hair and grasped it, turning his face to hers to crush his mouth with her own.

He moaned lowly into her mouth as he began to move a tad faster, thrusting in and out of her, his length throbbing inside of her. She was so _tight_; it was very hard for him to hold himself back.

She broke her lips from his to moan softly into his ear, nibbling on it. "F-Faster, Neji.." she whispered fervently, panting and whimpering as her body arched and bucked against his. Her pleading words made his heart race and he let out a low groan and a growl, his hips beginning to move faster, shoving himself into her. "A-Ah, Neji, i-it's so big!" she cried, letting out a load moan. He shivered, her words music to his ears, only encouraging him to move faster. He began pistoning his hips, moving in and out at a fast pace, making her moan loudly, her fingers gripping his hair, pulling on it slightly. He tilted his head back, letting out a low moan of pleasure, and grit his teeth as she wailed, "H-Harder Neji! Harder!"

He began to ram himself into her, pounding his hips into hers, the sounds of their sex echoing throughout the room.

He could feel his climax coming, and he couldn't stop it. "S-Sakura, I-I'm about to.."

"C-Cum..!" she finished, and she threw her head back, letting out a loud wail of pleasure. Her hips jerked and he felt something hot and wet rush out, leaking out of her filled entrance. This made him gasp and moan, squeezing his eyes shut as his thrusts became jerky. He could feel his hot seed leave his tip, shooting deeply within her as he came. He moaned her name lowly, panting as he continued thrusting. She moaned loudly as he filled her, and panted heavily after her orgasm. His thrusts slowed, and eventually stopped, and he collapsed on her, exhaused. She wound her arms around him, burying her face in his hair as their chests heaved against one another.

**[[You may read now.]]**

"Sakura," he murmured softly against her ear, eyes half-lidded. Was it normal for one to feel so giddy after sex? Was it normal to feel sleepy?

"H-Hai?" she whispered, panting against his neck.

"I.." Should he say it? Should he admit his feelings for her, or would it just scare her away..? He didn't know. He bit his lip, pondering for a moment, laying still atop her.

"You.. what?" she mumbled.

"I.. I love you." he said breathlessly, before closing his eyes.


End file.
